Marsanne is a white wine variety from the Rhone Valley in France. In Switzerland and Savoie, Marsanne is sometimes referred to as “Ermitage”. This is due to the ability to produce some of the most famous white wines of Hermitage. Marsanne has been adopted and grown successfully in Australia, and the United States. Marsanne is full bodied with excellent weight and structure, however it can struggle to produce good acidity in warm climates. In cooler climates, Marsanne will shine and produce complex wine worthy of age. Marsanne will have a light straw color with hints of gold and green. On the nose, Marsanne will allow for an earthy and mineral tone with characteristics of honeysuckle and melon. When aged, Marsanne becomes a rich amber color with nut and orange marmalade flavor. Marsanne has the potential to age for up to 15 years. Marsanne is often blended with more aromatic varieties such as Roussanne and Clairette in northern Rhone. When paired with Roussanne, Marsanne produces the sparkling wine, Saint-Peray. In Languedoc, Marsanne is blended Viognier and Rolle.
Ferme Blanche Cassis Blanc is made from 40% Marsanne, 20% Ugni Blanc, 20% Clairette, 10% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Bourboulenc. .
The wine has a pale golden color and offers subtle aromas of citrus fruits, peach and apricot, and floral notes of acacia and linden. Crisp and lively on the palate, good tension and length and a refreshing finish.
Sea stews, shellfish, traditional fish and chips, octopus salad.
Ferme Blanche Cassis Blanc Excellence is made from 50% Marsanne and 50% Clairette.
On the nose, white fruits, citrus zest, hint of vanilla. Velvety well balanced mouth of ripe fruits and minerality.
Pair with trout, Scallop, or better yet lobster would complement this wine perfectly.
Ferme Blanche Cassis Blanc Excellence is made from 50% Marsanne and 50% Clairette.
On the nose, white fruits, citrus zest, hint of vanilla. Velvety well balanced mouth of ripe fruits and minerality.
Pair with trout, Scallop, or better yet lobster would complement this wine perfectly.
Ferme Blanche Cassis Blanc Excellence is made from 50% Marsanne and 50% Clairette.
On the nose, white fruits, citrus zest, hint of vanilla. Velvety well balanced mouth of ripe fruits and minerality.
Pair with trout, Scallop, or better yet lobster would complement this wine perfectly.
Made from 50% Marsanne and 50% Roussanne
The wine is aromatic with white flowers such as acacia and honeysuckle. In the mouth, you will find some lanolin flavors as well as apricot and yellow ripe peach.
The finish is long, delicate and balanced.
It is waxy and very White Burgundy like.
Average age of the vines is 15 years old.
Johann Michel owns 0.5 hectare (1.24 acre) of Saint Peray.
The Saint Peray AOC is smaller in size, covering just 90 hectares (222 acres). In the past, Saint Peray was famous for producing mostly sparkling wine, made from Roussanne and Marsanne. 90% of the wines were sparkling and only 10% were still wines. Today, it is the opposite: 90% of the AOC is producing still wines and only 10% is turned into sparkling wine. There are about 35 vignerons making Saint Peray.
Johann Michel Saint Peray Blanc has a shining golden yellow color. The wine is aromatic with white flowers such as acacia and honeysuckle. In the mouth, you will find some lanolin flavors as well as apricot and yellow ripe peach. The finish is long, delicate and balanced. Reminiscent of White Burgundy.
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
20 months in French oak (only about a third of that is new oak) and for 20 more months in bottle before release
Our winemaking "style" is solely determined by this place or terrior we call "Paradigm." Winemaking is agriculture when you own your vineyards and are able to farm them to promote the very best Earth will give you. All of our selections of wines are made from five varietals on the estate. Every wine is 100% farmed and grown by us.
Complexity in our wines supported by luscious fruit and acidity is our hallmark. Our efforts during harvest and barrel cellaring concentrate on maintaining the freshness from the first day we handpicked each vineyard block. Simple winemaking protocols are employed while crucial “timing” oriented winemaking decisions rule each day.
Dark Cabernet color with beautiful aromas of black cherry, cassis, plus 5-spice, vanilla. Big, ripe and mouthcoating across the palate. The flavors are similar to the aromas with ripe fruit, berry/cherry pie, moderate tannins, and nice length. This wine shows enough structure to be age-worth, yet soft and balanced enough to enjoy upon release. Flavors linger in this tasty, dense wine. Tastes like Oakville. -Heidi Barrett
Bernardins Muscat Beaumes Venise VDN 100% Muscat petits grains (75% Blanc, 25% Red)
Copper/rose hue and ripe soft aromas of orange, spice and flowers. The wine is full bodied with the texture of silk and flavors of orange custard, white peach, pear, apricot, toffee and orange peel.
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.
The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.
We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).
As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.
In the spirit of respecting traditional techniques and the best elements of modern technology, cellar manager Andrew Hall and his winemaker son Romain Hall take family traditions very seriously.
When making our wines, the Muscat de Beaumes de Venise plays a central role and requires great care. After picking the grapes by hand, we press them straightaway to ferment the juice without skins. We don’t add any yeasts and keep the alcoholic fermentation in check by temperature control. Vin Doux Naturel winemaking involves stopping fermentation to preserve the grapes’ natural sweetness. During vinification, we watch the vats day and night and add the fortifying spirit just at the right moment. At this stage, the wine’s final balance is at stake. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling.