Château des Tourettes : Tinus Marsanne Roussanne 2021

Tasting characteristics and advice for Tinus Marsanne Roussanne 2021 from Château des Tourettes

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a brilliant golden hue, lifted by subtle green highlights.

Nose

The nose opens on a generous bouquet of white flowers and yellow fruit, notably apricot and peach. Hints of honey and beeswax add complexity, alongside delicate notes of toasted bread. A fresh vegetal touch and citrus nuances round out this expressive aromatic palette.

Palate

The attack on the palate is precise and well-defined. A broad, vinous structure reveals fine textural richness, balanced by a crystalline, lingering minerality. Generous fruitiness harmonizes beautifully with invigorating freshness. The finish carries on with elegance, marked by mineral and floral notes, as well as fine bitter notes that lend character and length to the whole.

Food and wine pairings

This white wine is an ideal match for grilled lobster or lobster in a butter sauce, as well as fine seafood. It also pairs perfectly with poultry in a cream and mushroom sauce, especially with morels. Prime fish baked in a crust or roasted also make excellent pairings. Its versatility allows it to shine as an aperitif.

Serving and cellaring

The Tinus Marsanne Roussanne 2021 can be enjoyed now.

A Vin de France white wine combining richness and minerality

The estate

Created in 1997 with the acquisition of the property, Château des Tourettes is a 17- to 19-hectare estate in the Luberon (Vauclac), near Apt, in the Rhône Valley. The current owners are Maine and Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen, the latter running the estate and bringing his Burgundy-inspired exacting standards to it. The vineyard, almost entirely restructured, stands out locally for its atypical grape varieties, notably in whites (viognier, chardonnay, marsanne, roussanne), and for its altitude (~420 m), which preserves freshness.

The vineyard

The grapes for this cuvée come from the Plateau de l'Aigle, located at an altitude between 400 and 420 meters. This elevation creates a distinctive microclimate, with cool nights that preserve the grapes’ natural acidity while allowing gradual ripening. Limestone soils give the wine its hallmark mineral character and structural elegance. Classified as Vin de France, this wine benefits from maximum freedom of expression from the terroir.

The vintage

The winter of 2021 was marked by a rare, intense frost episode. A milder spring encouraged flowering at the end of May, followed by a particularly rainy June and July. Weather instability set in between mid-July and mid-August, before late-summer conditions made it possible to reach optimal grape maturity.

Winemaking and aging

After hand-harvesting, the grapes for Tinus Marsanne Roussanne 2021 are pressed directly at the estate. Only the first run juice, prized for its nobility and higher acidity, is kept for vinification. Fermentation takes place in tulip-shaped concrete vats, whose geometry promotes natural circulation of the must. The wine then remains on fine lees for several months in these same rounded-bottom vats, before being transferred to tanks for additional resting on lees. This extended aging enhances aromatic complexity and develops a creamy texture.

Grape varieties

Marsanne (55%)
Roussanne (45%)