When we tasted our 2018 Marsanne Roussane Chardonnay (or Mr.C) after blending and bottling, it evoked this familiar feeling of coziness – the kind you can find beside a fire after a long ski day. It's a rich, full-bodied white that is quite dry, but bursting with pineapple, toasted almond and macadamia nut, and a waxed honey finish.

Marsanne and Roussanne are a bit of a rarity for the Okanagan, and we got ours from a special site on the northern Skaha Bench. They were pressed together and shared a 75% new French oak barrel for just over 12 months, before being blended with chardonnay. The blend is 72% Marsanne, 14% Roussanne, and 14% Chardonnay. Other M/R blends out of the Okanagan have seen Viognier dominating the mix (we can assume because of the scarcity of M/R)  while our blend is the opposite. We bottled it unfined and unfiltered to preserve the complexity and character, and while our use of Chardonnay instead of Viognier might raise a French eyebrow or two, we're pleased nonetheless to release a single barrel of this Rhone-style blend, through an Okanagan lens.

This wine could be enjoyed now, or benefit from cellaring a couple years - which is characteristic of Marsanne-Roussanne blends.