Southern Rhône's Grapes: Cinsault, Grenache, Marsanne, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Syrah, Viognier

Cinsault

Cinsault, or Cinsaut as it’s sometimes spelt, is a southern French red grape variety. It’s been known for centuries in the Languedoc and in the 1970s plantings of it tripled when it was officially sanctioned as an improving grape to replace Aramon and Alicante Bouschet, mainly in the Herault and Aude departments. Since then, however, Languedoc producers have favoured the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre and Syrah instead but Cinsault is still widely planted around southern France. Cinsault produces its best when yields are kept to less than 40 hectolitres per hectare, though it will quite happily yield much more than this as well as cope with drought. Well-made Cinsault wines tend to be softer and lighter than most reds and very young examples are more aromatic and attractively fruity as well. However, this grape is used almost always used to add suppleness, perfume and fruit to blends – and a mix with Carignan is typical. It’s an approved variety in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape mix, though not a highly rated choice. Provence has some Cinsault, as does the north of Corsica – in fact, it’s the dominant grape there in spite of lots of it being pulled in favour of more profitable grapes. Its heyday, however, was in the 1950s and 60s when Algeria – then part of France constitutionally – was an important wine producer. It used its wine primarily for blending in France and, notoriously, for adding body to some less than reputable burgundies! It was also South Africa’s most important red grape until the mid-1960s and it was only in 1993 that Cabernet Sauvignon overtook it as the most planted variety. Cinsault was also called Hermitage there at one point, which is rather bizarre considering Cinsault isn’t planted in the northern Rhone. It does, however, answer how Pinotage, South Africa’s speciality red grape, got its name since it’s a crossing of Pinot Noir with Cinsault. Cinsault is still prevalent in Morocco and Lebanon (though declining in the latter) and can be found in various parts of Eastern Europe. It is also thought to be the same as the Ottavianello grape in southern Italy, where it’s planted around Brindisi.

Grenache

Grenache or Garnacha, as it's called in Spain is a hot-climate red variety. It's origins are uncertain. As Garnacha, it probably originated in Spain, in Aragon in the north. But it is the same variety as Sardinia's Cannonau, so could have made its journey from there to Spain when Sardinia was under Aragon rule between 1297 and 1713. Whatever, it now has a large presence in France, particularly in the south in Languedoc-Roussillon and the southern Rhone. This high-yielding grape survives well in such hot, dry, windy vineyards as a result of its strong wood. It buds early and ripens relatively late and can achieve high sugar levels in regions that afford it a long growing cycle. Its weaknesses are lack of colour and low tannins, which is why it is often blended, such as in Rioja, but it is possible to concentrate both these characteristics if yields are kept low. Grenache wine has a tendency to oxidise early, a rustic quality and an attractive sweetness. However, in irrigated vineyards, such as much of the New World, the vine may lose even these taste markers. At the other extreme, if it is pruned severely, grown on the poorest soils and the vine and the grapes reach full maturity, then it can produce rich red wines needing several decades of cellaring - as some diligent producers in Chateauneuf-du-Pape have shown. Grenache certainly is a multi-purpose grape. Apart from producing dry reds, it is also the grape used for much of the rosé in France and Spain and is also the main ingredient for sweet vin doux naturels, such as Banyuls and Maury. In California, it produces the misleadingly named but popular rosé White Grenache, while Sardinia makes alcoholic reds and dessert wines from it. Beyond this, it's also found growing in Calabria, Sicily, Israel and both South and North Africa. Grenache is a grape with countless synonyms, including some that reflect its habitats, such as Tinto Aragones, Roussillon Tinto, Uva di Spagna, Alicante, Rivesaltes and Aragonais.

Marsanne

French grape Marsanne, which produces full-bodied, scented wines, is a white variety that is growing in popularity, probably because of its relative productivity. Certainly, in the northern Rhone, where it’s thought to originate, it’s now become the favoured blending partner, rather than Roussanne, in appellations like St-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Peray, and Hermitage, to a lesser extent. Marsanne is also finding increasing favour with growers in the south of France, where it’s now an allowed ingredient in most of the appellations and earning itself brownie points as a characterful varietal as well as a blending partner for more aromatic, acid grapes, such as Roussanne, Viognier and Rolle. The produced wine is deep-coloured and full-bodied with a heady aroma reminiscent of anything from glue and honeysuckle to hints of almonds, while its drawback – a tendency to be flabby – has been diminished by modern wine-making techniques. Known as Marsana in northeast Spain, this grape is also found in Australia – where you’d expect to find the addition of some tropical characteristics in the wines – as well as California. It’s also grown in Switzerland, where it’s called Ermitage Blanc and produces dry and light as well as complex sweet wines in Valais.

Mourvedre

Mourvedre is a vigorous red grape variety high in acidity and often astringency that is enjoying a revival in the south of France. It most likely originated in Spain, where – although declining – it is the fourth most planted red wine grape and known as Monastrell. With a warm climate, Mourvedre adapts well to a good range of soils and will ride out spring frosts. However, it doesn’t like low winter temperatures and is susceptible to downy and powdery mildew, which are more common in much of France than Spain. It buds and ripens very late – not a problem in Spain but in France it needs the warmest of summers to reach full ripeness. As Monastrell, the grape is grown particularly in Murcia, Alicante, Albacete, Valencia and the Levante where the resulting wines tend to be high in tannin and alcohol with a gamey flavour in youth – but it can age too. In southern France – throughout the Languedoc and Roussillon, as well as in Provence and the southern Rhone – Mourvedre is often used for its structure and makes wine with intense fruit and the aroma of blackberries in a good year. The Australians and Californians often called this grape Mataro but now, as a varietal or in a blend, it’s being offered as Mourvedre.

Roussanne

Roussanne is a white grape most notably grown in the Rhone and so-called because of the russet � or roux � colour of its skin. It�s a fragile vine that gives irregular yields and is susceptible to powdery mildew, rot and wind, although better clones have helped. It ripens late, which can be a problem in the Northern Rhone but less so in Languedoc-Roussillon, another of its homes. Other places it crops up include the Var, the Savoie (where it�s called Bergeron), Liguria and Tuscany (where it�s permitted in Italy�s Montecarlo Bianco), California and Australia. It�s best asset is its haunting aroma, which has been described as like refreshing herb tea, but it also has good acidity, allowing it to age gracefully. It is a frequently blended grape, particularly in the Rhone. There Roussanne is the elegant, delicate grape to the big fat higher-yielding Marsanne. Together they are the only varieties permitted in the white versions of Northern Rhone appellations Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph as well as the often sparkling St-Peray. Roussanne is also a permitted variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It�s also adds useful body to other varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay.

Syrah

Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. However apart from Australia where it is always called Shiraz, and France where it is Syrah, the rest of the world tends to follow the style of these two. If the wine is ripe and full bodied the wine is often called Shiraz. If the wine has less fruit, more acidity and lower alcohol, it tends to be called Syrah after the wines produced into the North of Rhone. Shiraz/Syrah is produced by itself or can be blended typically in three ways. A small amount of the white grape Viognier can lift the deep flavours of Syrah, this is common in Northern Rhone. In Southern Rhone and recently Australia, blending has been based around adding Grenache and Mourvedre, copying the blending behind Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Even more recently Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz/Syrah has been blended in the Southern French wine region of Languedoc, creating big wines with elegance. Hotter climate Shiraz often has aromas of plum, tar and leather and with the right oak treatment even chocolate. Cooler climate Syrah can have a peppery note to the wine.

Viognier

Viognier is a French grape, originally grown in Northern Rhone in Condrieu. It is also planted in Southern France, California, Australia and Argentina. It likes a warm climate but is prone to mildew. The grapes are deep yellow resulting in a wine that is deeply coloured and high in alcohol. It produces full-bodied wines that in the best examples taste and smell of apricots, peaches and blossom. Highly perfumed, Viognier makes a good wine to blend with other varieties, e.g. Chardonnay. Best drunk young.