Domaine du Tunnel : Marsanne 2024

Characteristics and tasting notes for Marsanne 2024 from Domaine du Tunnel

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a hue ranging from pale yellow to golden yellow, with beautiful clarity and great brilliance.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet is generous, opening with notes of yellow fruits, ripe apple and stone fruits, enhanced by delicate floral touches. With aeration, subtle honeyed and buttery nuances emerge.

Palate
The palate offers a silky texture and a lovely balance between fruity richness and freshness. It unfolds intense aromas of apple and stone fruits, heightened by a subtle minerality and a refreshing hint of menthol. The finish stretches out with length, marked by an elegant saline touch.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs wonderfully with seafood such as oysters or scallops, as well as with Provençal-style dishes like aïoli. It also goes perfectly with a snail quiche, fish terrines or aged goat cheeses.

Service and storage

For an optimal tasting of the Marsanne 2024, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 10 and 12°C, allowing it to breathe for around twenty minutes after opening. This wine can be enjoyed now, but its structure allows it to evolve favourably in the cellar until around 2029.

The elegance and mineral precision of a white wine from Saint-Péray

The estate

Founded in 1994 by Stéphane Robert, who now runs the estate with his wife Sandrine, Domaine du Tunnel has become an essential reference in the northern Rhône Valley. Starting with just 2.5 hectares, the vineyard now spans 12 hectares. The uniqueness of this estate lies in its spectacular cellar: a former stone railway tunnel 170 metres long, restored in 2014. Located 40 metres underground, it offers ideal natural thermal regulation conditions for crafting authentic and precise wines.

The vineyard

The plots dedicated to this cuvée are located within the Saint-Péray appellation, particularly on the renowned sites of "Barras" and "Les Grandes Blaches". Resting on granite soils across steep hillsides and terraces, the vines, with an average age of 50 years and some exceeding a century, are cultivated by hand in an environmentally responsible manner, with the estate holding High Environmental Value (HVE) certification.

The vintage

The year offered very favourable weather conditions, allowing the grapes to reach optimal ripeness without experiencing excessive heat. This mild climate favoured a healthy growing cycle, ensuring beautiful natural freshness was preserved at harvest time.

Winemaking and aging

After manual harvesting and rigorous sorting of the bunches, the winemaking of the Marsanne 2024 is carried out with minimal intervention to respect the expression of the terroir. The aging then takes place over a period of 8 to 10 months, split between stainless steel tanks and used oak barrels, to add complexity without marking the wine with wood flavours.

Grape variety

100% Marsanne