Marsanne 2021
Rare and exclusive, a robust but well-balanced white.
Marsanne is a difficult grape for a grower to love, between its treacherous presence in the vineyard (the high tendency for mildew and uneven ripening, among other issues) and its pale, sometimes almost invisible flavor profile. But love it we do! The unique flavours of Marsanne are totally distinct in the world of white wine, and while we typically blend the Marsanne with Viognier to provide much-needed structure, in select years we receive that rare and perfect vintage that will stand on its on. Our pure Marsanne is infrequent, unconventional, and utterly delicious.
In Stock
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Marsanne
Acid
5.9 g/L
pH
3.40
Residual Sugar
1.8 g/L
Alcohol %
13.2
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Light white-gold, the deepest colour of the 2021 whites but healthy, clean. The nose on this Marsanne is predominantly floral, with some wool, yellow plum, vanilla, white tea, tangerine and toasted marshmallow, clean oak in the background. A lot of complexity in the aromatics, will continue to harmonize if the wine is kept for another year or two. The palate is round and structured, with a little wood tannin from the oak (see production notes for barrel details). Finishes with a lot of spice, warmth. The oak is more prominent on the palate than the nose, a touch of caramel enhances the autumnal quality of the wine.
Production Notes
100% from Intersection, picked October 12, 2021. Pressed then racked to barrels for fermentation.
Batonnage after primary fermentation was done twice a week for about three months, then scaled back to once a week, dropping gradually until the end of its 6 month barrel aging period.
One Marsanne barrel out of the six was a brand new Sirugue, tight grain French oak, Vosges forest, 3 year maturation on the staves and Elegance toast. These 6 were blended together, then added some to Viognier-Marsanne and kept the rest aside for the single varietal. 16.7% new oak.
For a “heat dome” vintage, this wine ended up nicely balanced in terms of acidity, this could be attributed to minor plant shutdown in the heat (stress) and/or higher cropping levels than the previous year.
Winemaker Notes
This is a unique varietal in the Okanagan and a traditional element of whites and reds in the Rhone valley in France. We've found that it is also an essential part of our lineup, offering a look at a rare single-varietal, and it's designed for those who look for a weightier, earthier white and a departure from typical barrel-fermented whites. We age it in a mixture of new and neutral oak to enhance the structure and texture, and give depth to the fruit. Usually a small batch reserved for Intersection fans, and a cool wine to try in our bar.
Food Pairing Notes
Good matches for our Marsanne would be roast turkey or chicken with fall vegetables, turkey burgers with apricot & feta, or pulled pork with grilled corn.