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2020 Saint-Joseph Blanc
Jean-Claude MarsanneClémence Marsanne (pictured on the cover) is the newest generation to hone her craft at this historic domaine. She’s worked alongside her father Jean-Claude for only three vintages officially, but she practically grew up on the hallowed slopes surrounding her village of Mauves and knows them like the back of her hand. A most charming entry point to Marsanne, the grape and la famille, the 2020 blanc is opulent and expressive with notes of apricot, almond, and lemon meringue. Creamy yet chiseled, it’s deliciously versatile at table.
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Marsanne |
Appellation: | Saint-Joseph |
Country: | France |
Region: | Northern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne |
Winemaker: | Jean-Claude Marsanne |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1990, 1995, and 2010, .85 ha |
Soil: | Clay, granite |
Aging: | Fermented in tonneaux for 6 weeks before being racked to smaller barrels. Wine ages for 11 months in 228L barrels |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “L’Instinct”
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It is a real-deal northern Rhône roasted-slope Syrah that walks the tightrope perfectly between creamy fruit, meaty tannins, and fresh spine.
2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
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Elegance and restraint from one of the hill’s lesser-known terroirs.
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Gervans”
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Full of finesse, it opens into black cherry fruits and plentiful violet, soft leather notes playing around the edges.
2020 Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
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This small parcel has a fruit-forward, approachable style, yet with intense spice and licorice in there as well, perhaps from the deep-rooted old Syrah vines.
2019 Saint-Joseph Rouge
France | Northern Rhône
The violets, tapenade, and juicy black fruit in your glass is much unchanged from how it’s always been (and should be).
2022 Saint-Joseph Blanc “Clef de Sol”
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Round and generous on first blush and then wound up, energetic, and fine-grained on the finish, this thoroughbred wine is sculpted for the cellar but still provides a lot of immediate gratification.
2021 Saint Joseph Rouge “Les Ribaudes”
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May Rouge ~ This beauty is brimming and bursting with deep dark flavors of black olive, blackberry and a hint of white pepper.
2018 Hermitage Blanc “La Pierrelle”
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From vines that are more than eighty years old comes this Marsanne with magnificent floral, pit fruit, and bitter notes.
2021 Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier “Les Ruisseaux”
France | Northern Rhône
Amid the lush fruit runs a delicate current of minerality that lingers on the tongue, as if the wine cascaded down a granite slope on its way into your glass.
2021 Saint Joseph Blanc “Les Ribaudes”
France | Northern Rhône
Most of this blanc was aged in tank to preserve freshness, but the little bit that was aged in oak provides a glimmer of opulence.
About The Producer
Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne
The Marsanne family, as their name attests, has a long and deep-rooted history in the northern Rhône, in particular around Mauves, the birthplace of the Saint-Joseph appellation. In 1920, current owner Jean-Claude’s grandfather, Jean-Pierre, became the first in the family to focus solely on vineyards—no easy task given the impossibly steep slopes of Mauves, where everything must be worked by hand and pickaxe. Jean-Pierre started with just a few small parcels, selling off his crop to prestigious négociants, and was quickly renowned throughout the region for the exceptional quality of his grapes. His untimely passing in 1950 forced his son, Jean, to quit school at age 16 to take over the domaine. He continued his father’s work in earnest, his vineyards often being recognized amongst the village’s best, not just for their exposition and soil, but also for the attention to detail young Jean paid to each vine. The grape sales financed some small land purchases in and around Mauves, and the domaine slowly grew to 3 hectares. In 1970, Jean made the leap to begin making and bottling the wines himself. Over time, a small, but loyal following developed, especially among France’s fine dining establishments, which valued the finesse and elegance of Marsanne’s cuvées. The domaine remained largely unknown on the international scene, overlooked by many journalists and clients who sought out bolder, more extracted styles.
Since taking over from Jean in 1991, Jean-Claude has continued to add select new parcels, growing the domaine to 9.6 hectares. While still mostly focused on Syrah from the hallowed terroir of Mauves, he now farms a few small plots of Marsanne for his Saint-Joseph blanc, as well as some Viognier and Syrah in the Ardèche hills west of the village. He also inherited a superb plot of Crozes-Hermitage that once belonged to his grandmother.
Kermit came across Jean Marsanne during his early adventures in France in the 1970s, and was struck by the wines’ aromatic complexity and Jean’s meticulous care for the vineyards. He even managed to import a few bottles in those early days. Kermit and the Marsannes lost touch and life went on, until decades later when Kermit spotted a familiar label while dining out in Paris. The bottle was ordered, uncorked, and an old collaboration was renewed.
Jean-Claude holds tightly to the traditions of his family. These include farming the steepest parcels by hand, as was done by his grandfather; using indigenous yeasts for slow, natural fermentations, like his father taught him; and aging his wines extensively on fine lees, releasing each cuvée at its most expressive moment. The reunion with Marsanne is one of great pride on both sides.
More from Northern Rhône or France
2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
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2020 Crozes Hermitage “Gervans”
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2020 Côte-Rôtie “Les Roses”
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2020 Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
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2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge
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2022 Vin de France Blanc “Cuvée de Louis”
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2020 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
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2021 Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier “Les Ruisseaux”
Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “Châtelet”
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2021 Saint Joseph Rouge “La Gloriette Vieilles Vignes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2018 Hermitage Blanc “La Pierrelle”
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2020 Hermitage Rouge “La Pierrelle”
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2020 Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “l’Art Zélé”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Gervans”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2020 Côte-Rôtie “Les Roses”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2020 Crozes-Hermitage Rouge
Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge
Domaine Monier Perréol France | Northern Rhône
2022 Vin de France Blanc “Cuvée de Louis”
Domaine Jolivet France | Northern Rhône
2020 Crozes Hermitage “Tiercerolles”
Barruol / Lynch France | Northern Rhône
2021 Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier “Les Ruisseaux”
Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint-Joseph Rouge “Châtelet”
Domaine Monier Perréol France | Northern Rhône
2021 Saint Joseph Rouge “La Gloriette Vieilles Vignes”
Lionel Faury France | Northern Rhône
2018 Hermitage Blanc “La Pierrelle”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236