30 editor-picked estates growing Roussanne in Rhone Valley.
Where to taste Roussanne in Rhone Valley: the estates that grow it, how the region expresses the grape, and how to book a visit.
The cellar
The 12 highest-rated of 16 bottles with at least 15% Roussanne in the blend.
5.0
Chateau de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes
Chateau de Beaucastel
5.0
Hermitage Blanc
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave
4.9
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Chateau de Beaucastel
4.9
Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc
E. Guigal
4.8
Chateau La Nerthe Clos de Beauvenir Blanc
Chateau La Nerthe
4.7
Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Clos des Papes
4.7
Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers
Domaine Gonon
4.6
Domaine de la Mordoree La Plume du Peintre Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de la Mordoree
4.6
Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe La Crau Blanc
Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe
4.5
Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Domaine de la Janasse
4.5
Hermitage Blanc Chevalier de Sterimberg
Paul Jaboulet Aine
4.4
Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Chateau La Nerthe
Ampuis-based negociant and domaine celebrated for the single-vineyard Cote-Rotie La La La trilogy from old Syrah vines.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at Chateau d'Ampuis by appointment
Signature wines: Cote-Rotie La Mouline, Cote-Rotie La Landonne, Cote-Rotie La Turque
Tip: The La La La trilogy (La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque) are allocated; the Chateau d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie is the most accessible flagship.
Tain-l'Hermitage negociant under biodynamic conversion since the 1990s, producing benchmark Hermitage Syrah and rare Marsanne whites.
Tasting: Open tasting room in Tain-l'Hermitage; cellar tours by appointment
Signature wines: Ermitage Le Pavillon, Ermitage De l'Oree Blanc
Tip: The Braille labels on all bottles reflect the family's commitment to accessibility. The tasting room in town is walk-in friendly.
Paul Jaboulet Aine, founded in 1834, is a Tain-l'Hermitage negociant producing Hermitage La Chapelle Syrah from the hill's granite flanks. Now owned by the Frey family (since 2006).
Tasting: La Cave by appointment; wine shop open in Tain-l'Hermitage
Signature wines: Hermitage La Chapelle
Tip: La Chapelle from top vintages (1961, 1990, 2010) has 30 to 50 year cellaring potential and trades regularly at international auction.
Malleval domaine with vines across Cote-Rotie, Saint-Joseph and Condrieu, known for rich, concentrated Syrah with reliable terroir expression.
Tasting: By appointment at the domaine
Signature wines: Cote-Rotie Esprit de Blonde, Saint-Joseph Clos de Cuminal
Leading Condrieu domaine producing multiple single-vineyard Viognier bottlings alongside Cote-Rotie and Saint-Joseph.
Tasting: Open tasting room in Chavanay; appointment recommended
Signature wines: Condrieu Les Chaillets Vieilles Vignes, Condrieu La Petite Cote
Tip: Les Chaillets is the classic cuvee; Vertige is from the highest-altitude vineyards.
Saint-Michel-sur-Rhone domaine producing ambitious Northern Rhone whites and reds with low-intervention and site-specific focus.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the domaine
Signature wines: Condrieu Le Grand Vallon, Saint-Joseph Le Grand Pompee
Saint-Peray specialist producing still and sparkling Marsanne alongside compelling Cornas from adjacent granite terraces.
Tasting: By appointment at the cellar in Saint-Peray
Signature wines: Saint-Peray Marsanne, Cornas Pur Noir
Organic and biodynamic-practicing Crozes-Hermitage estate with the Clos des Grives single-vineyard Syrah as its standout red.
Tasting: Tasting room open weekdays; Saturday by appointment
Signature wines: Crozes-Hermitage Clos des Grives Rouge
Tip: Among the most reliable value-for-quality bottlings in the Northern Rhone; biodynamic farming at accessible prices.
Alain Graillot elevated the Crozes-Hermitage appellation's reputation for serious Syrah beginning in 1985; La Guiraude is the old-vine prestige cuvee.
Tasting: Visits by appointment at the domaine
Signature wines: Crozes-Hermitage Rouge, Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude
Tip: The straightforward Crozes rouge is one of the best value reds in the Northern Rhone.
Larnage Crozes-Hermitage estate with parcels on the Hermitage hill, known for purity of fruit and mineral expression.
Tasting: By appointment at the domaine in Larnage
Signature wines: Crozes-Hermitage Les Pierrelles Rouge, Crozes-Hermitage Cuvee Louis Belle
Mauves reference estate for Saint-Joseph, run by brothers Pierre and Jean Gonon on old-vine granite parcels; one of the most elegant Saint-Josephs made.
Tasting: By appointment only at the estate in Mauves
Signature wines: Saint-Joseph Rouge, Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers
Tip: Wines sell out quickly. The Saint-Joseph blanc from Marsanne and Roussanne is a rare and beautiful white.
Maxime Graillot's own domaine in Mercurol. Old-vine Crozes-Hermitage parcels farmed organically with a site-specific focus.
Tasting: By appointment at the domaine
Signature wines: Crozes-Hermitage Les Lises
Tip: A producer to follow; each vintage shows increasing terroir precision and elegance.
The Perrin family estate at Courthezon, one of the oldest and most biologically farmed CdP properties, using all 13 permitted varieties and producing the benchmark Roussanne Vieilles Vignes blanc.
Tasting: Visits and tastings by appointment at the estate; wine shop on site
Signature wines: Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Chateau de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, Hommage a Jacques Perrin
Tip: The Hommage a Jacques Perrin is the prestige red; the Roussanne Vieilles Vignes white is the estate's flagship white wine.
Paul-Vincent Avril's family estate, one of Chateauneuf-du-Pape's most consistent producers, making densely structured reds from a large parcel mosaic.
Tasting: By appointment at the estate in Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Signature wines: Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Tip: The red uses Mourvedre more generously than most CdP estates, lending dark-earth, game-meat character.
Courthezon family estate producing approachable and reliably excellent Chateauneuf-du-Pape including the old-vine Chaupin Grenache cuvee.
Tasting: Tasting room open Monday to Saturday at the domaine
Signature wines: Domaine de la Janasse Chaupin, Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes
Tip: Cuvee Chaupin from a single old-vine Grenache parcel is a worth ordering.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate run by brothers Pascal and Vincent Maurel, producing concentrated cuvees including the rare Deus ex Machina prestige bottling.
Tasting: Tastings by appointment at the estate
Signature wines: Clos Saint-Jean Deus-Ex Machina, Clos Saint-Jean La Combe des Fous
Negociant house sourcing old-vine Rhone fruit across both north and south for barrel-aged cuvees of concentration and depth.
Tasting: By appointment; offices in Lourmarin
Signature wines: Tardieu-Laurent Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, Tardieu-Laurent Gigondas
One of the oldest estates in CdP with winemaking cited to the 16th century, producing refined GSM-led reds and whites from organic farming.
Tasting: Open tasting room and shop at the chateau; cellar tours by appointment
Signature wines: Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Chateau La Nerthe Cuvee des Cadettes Rouge
Tip: The Cuvee des Cadettes white from very old Roussanne and Clairette vines is a rare and age-worthy white CdP.
Delas Freres, founded 1835 in Tain-l'Hermitage, is a leading Northern Rhone negociant producing benchmark Hermitage rouge, Les Bessards cuvee, and Saint-Joseph.
Tasting: By appointment at the Delas Freres cellars in Tain-l'Hermitage
Signature wines: Hermitage Les Bessards, Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes
Tip: The Les Bessards single-parcel Hermitage is the flagship; Saint-Joseph Sainte-Epine is excellent value.
M. Chapoutier's flagship tasting cellar at Tain-l'Hermitage, showcasing the full range from Crozes-Hermitage to signature single-parcel Ermitage cuvees. Braille-labelled bottles displayed throughout.
Delas Freres winery and tasting space in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols offering guided visits through cellars with tastings of Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Hermitage single-parcel wines.
The Perrin family estate in Courthezon, one of only two Chateauneuf-du-Pape estates to use all 13 permitted grape varieties. Guided tours of historic cellars with structured tastings of the estate range.
Maison Brotte's purpose-built visitor centre next to the Pere Anselme Wine Museum. Wide range of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Cotes du Rhone open for daily tasting.
The Rhone Valley wine trade body's urban tasting bar in Avignon's historic centre. The rotating selection spans the full Rhone Valley from Condrieu to Chateauneuf-du-Pape with over 300 references.
The Avril family's Clos des Papes in the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Known for consistently scoring among the appellation's highest-rated estates, offering intimate visits to their village chai.
Cave de Tain cooperative's visitor centre and tasting room. The cooperative farms 1,000 hectares across Northern Rhone appellations; the full range covers Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Cornas, including the Nobles Rives prestige tier.
Yves Cuilleron's modern winery and tasting room in Chavanay at the southern edge of Condrieu appellation. Noted for expressive Condrieu whites and structured Saint-Joseph reds from old-vine Syrah.
One of the oldest and largest estates in Chateauneuf-du-Pape with a welcoming daily tasting room. The Fabre-Diffre family has owned the property since 1923, and the tasting covers both Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Lirac.
Stephane Robert's tiny domaine produces the finest Saint-Peray sparkling Marsanne and a remarkable Cornas from certified-organic vines. One of the northern Rhone's best-kept secrets.
Tip: The sparkling Saint-Peray Methode Traditionnelle is produced in tiny quantities and is almost impossible to find in export markets. Visit the cellar door in Saint-Peray for direct allocation.
Aimé and Christophe Sabon's organically-farmed Chateauneuf-du-Pape estate is beloved by local sommeliers for quality that outpunches its price, particularly the old-vine Grenache cuvees.
Tip: The Cuvee Chaupin white blends old-vine Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Roussanne. Visit by appointment from Avignon or Courthezon.
Wine and cheese
Private wine tour of the Rhône Valley, a day out in France tasting great wines in a unique atmosphere.
Discover two of the best preserved Roman monuments in the world: The Roman Theatre of Orange and the Aqueduct of the Pont du Gard (UNESCO Sites) and enjoy a wine tasti...
Explore the beautiful city of Avignon. See the Papal Palace, enjoy some lunch, visit Chateau Sainte-Roseline, and taste the wine of the Provence.
