Winemaker Notes
Roussanne is not a widely planted grape in California, only about 300 acres exist. The grape is native to southeastern France in the Rhone Valley, think Chateau-neuf-du-Pape and Hermitage.
While the historic Bien Nacido Vineyard is primarily known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir there is a small 5 acre planting of Roussanne on a hillside in the back of the vineyard. For many years this block produced the incredible Qupé Hillside Estate Roussanne, the finest Roussanne in California. We were fortunate to begin working with the block in 2013. Aged for 11 months in both an unlined concrete tank and 2 year old French oak barrels.
Full and silky in body but also charmingly crisp, Roussanne is native to the Rhône Valley of France. It is responsible for some of the finest Northern Rhône white wines. Roussanne adds richness and acidity to Marsanne’s soft, fruitiness, making age worthy and highly respected whites. Somm Secret—Roussanne takes its name from the French word, roux, meaning rouge or red because of the berry’s pink glow. In California, virtually all of the 339 acres of Roussanne come from true clones brought over by Tablas Creek and John Alban.
A lesser-known but elite AVA within the larger Santa Barbara district, the Santa Maria Valley AVA runs precisely west to east starting near the coast. The valley funnels cool, Pacific Ocean air to the vineyards more inland, allowing grapes a longer hang time to ripen evenly and achieve their full potential by harvest time. Combined with minimal rainfall, consistent warm sunshine, and well-drained soils, it is an ideal environment for grape growing.
Many of the wineries here are small and highly respected, having established a reputation in the 1970s and 80s for producing excellent Central Coast wines like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. More recently, Syrah has also proven quite successful in the region. Many vineyards are owned by growers who sell their grapes to other wineries, so it is common to see the same vineyard name on bottlings from different wineries. Bien Nacido Vineyard is perhaps the best-known and most prestigious.