Roussanne

Roussanne is an aromatic white wine grape of France's Rhône Valley, prized for its perfume, its body and its rare ability to age. It is the more delicate and expressive partner in the Rhône's classic white blend, traditionally paired with the broader, fuller Marsanne to make the whites of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph in the north and a permitted white grape of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south. Difficult to grow — late-ripening, low and uneven in yield, and prone to disease — it nonetheless rewards patience with intensely scented wines of herbal tea, pear, honeysuckle and a fine seam of acidity. Young Roussanne is floral and fresh; with bottle age it turns honeyed and nutty, gaining a richness that sets it apart from most dry whites. It takes its name from the russet, reddish-brown blush of its ripe berries.