Lush white with an attention problem

This is a lush, beautiful white wine made from 100 percent Marsanne grapes, a variety that receives far too little attention here in the Netherlands. Yet it is soft and approachable and pairs well with many different types of dishes. Furthermore, Marsanne is not frequently planted in the Southern Rhône region, unlike in the Northern Rhône.

The Château de Trignon Marsanne is a dry wine, but not one we would describe as lean or thin. On the contrary, it is lush and highly viscous. Approximately 20 percent of it is fermented in oak and the remainder in stainless steel before the blend is made. This wine will continue to improve in the bottle for at least two to three years. It has a beautiful golden color with aromas of almonds, honey, and peach. It opens up to flavors of peach, plums, and spices, with some lime and mineral notes. The Château de Trignon Marsanne is excellent as an aperitif wine in a somewhat fuller style. It is also wonderful with a soft, ripe melon and some fine cured ham. Also delicious with Thaise Crabcakes or, for example, cod with a leek cream sauce.

Château du Trignon

The Chateau du Trignon wine estate was acquired by Joseph Roux in 1895 and was run by his descendants until 2007, when Pascal Roux, a passionate winemaker who had maintained the quality of the wine at the highest level, sold the vineyard to another winemaker from the Rhône Valley, Jerome Quiot, who also owns and runs Domaine du Vieux Lazaret in Chateauneuf du Pape and Domaine Houchart in Provence. The wine is made from 150 hectares of vines in five villages: Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Sablet, and Beaumes de Venise. The winery produces various red wines and a Côtes du Rhône Blanc, a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. Marsanne is a popular white grape variety in France, Switzerland, the US, and Australia, often blended with Roussanne. It is also known as Grosse Roussette, Ermitage Blanc (Switzerland), and Marsana (Spain). 100% Marsanne fruit from vines planted on gravel and sandy soils in Sablet and Plan de Dieu.

Long wine history.

The Rhône Valley has always been a privileged passage between the Mediterranean world and Northern or Atlantic Europe. The highly fruitful archaeological research in the region, combined with historical studies, makes the Côtes du Rhône one of the first wine-growing regions in the world. From 125 BC, the Romans planted vines and built low walls that protected the terraces. They make this region one of the most beautiful in Gallia Narbonne. This fame would grow over the centuries and took shape in 1937 with the inauguration of the CDO – Controlled Designation of Origin – Côtes du Rhône.
For white wines, 80% of the grape varieties are represented by Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, and Viognier. Thanks to the blend of these different grape varieties, they combine aromas and freshness.