Trousseau Gris

Trousseau Gris
Grape (Vitis)
Trousseau Gris Ready to harvest September 2003, in The Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard, In Sonoma County's Russian River Valley; California USA
Species	Vitis vinifera
Also called	Gray Riesling, Gris De Salces, Chauché Gris (more)
Origin	France
Notable regions	Jura, California

Trousseau Gris is a French variety of white wine grape. It is occasionally found in eastern France and was once widely grown in California under the name Gray Riesling. In cool climates it can produce fresh aromatic wines. It needs gentle handling and careful winemaking to bring out its best.

It is a white mutation of the red Trousseau grape.

The 'gris' mutant is native to Jura in Eastern France.

These days Trousseau Gris is mostly found in the Jura, Alsace, Lorraine and sometimes in Champagne.

"Gray Riesling" was once widely planted in California, but the land for winemaking declined sharply in the 1980s, now while some Trousseau Gris can be found in old field-blended Zinfandel vineyards, the only standing block is ten acres of the Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley.

In addition to making an aromatic still wine of its own, it has often been blended with Chardonnay, Viognier, White Zinfandel rosé and even some red wines. It has also been used in dessert wines, sparkling wines and fortified wines.

As a mutant of a port grape, Trousseau Gris can thrive in hot, dry conditions, producing lots of sweet fruit (as does any grape in hotter than optimal conditions). The best wines are made when it is grown in much cooler conditions, but only in the coolest parts of the coastal area of California especially The Russian River Valley or in the mountains of the Jura. It is a very meaty grape that doesn’t like to release its juice and historically winemakers mistreated this grape with disastrous consequences but grown and handled properly, usually harvested around 23.5 brix, and gently pressed, Trousseau Gris has a crisp, clean, aromatic - flowery bouquet with flavors of fresh peaches, honeysuckle, pear, melon, delicate spice and tropical fruit.