The Roussanne Grape Variety at Puech-Haut

From the Rhône to the Languedoc. Roussanne was born in the northern Rhône Valley. There it goes into the whites of Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray, almost always with Marsanne. It then spread to the southern Rhône and the Languedoc, where whites made from Rhône grapes are among the most complex in the South. The two grapes complement each other, which explains why they are so often blended.

Finesse and perfume. Its white wines are elegant and aromatic. They show white flowers, linden, apricot and honey, with good presence on the palate. Roussanne takes well to ageing in the cellar and ages well in bottle: over the years, its floral notes develop towards honey and dried fruit.

In Saint-Drézéry. Around a quarter of the estate's vines there are white grapes: Roussanne, Marsanne, Muscat and Viognier. These grapes gradually joined the Syrah and Grenache planted at the outset, on clay-limestone soils covered with rolled pebbles, in the AOP Languedoc: the whites found their place in a vineyard first planted with black grapes. The vines are farmed sustainably, with mechanical soil work and controlled grass cover, meaning some grass is left between the rows and kept in check. A shepherd grazes eighty sheep there from autumn to spring, instead of weedkillers.

Two whites. Prestige white, the core of the range, blends Marsanne and Roussanne. The roles are shared as in the Rhône, Marsanne for richness, Roussanne for finesse, and the wine is round and aromatic. Tête de Bélier white, the white version of the flagship cuvée, has a golden colour and notes of smoke, yellow-fleshed fruit, honey and gingerbread. In the selection of flagship cuvées above, Argali white sits alongside it.

At the table. Roussanne whites go well with fish in sauce, shellfish, poultry in cream sauce and risottos. Serve them chilled but not ice-cold, so that their aromas of flowers and linden can come through.