Douce noir

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Charbonneau.
Douce noir
Grape (Vitis)
Douce noir/Bonarda grapes growing in Argentina
Color of berry skinNoir
SpeciesVitis vinifera
Also calledBonarda, Corbeau, Charbonneau more
OriginSavoy
Sex of flowersHermaphrodite
VIVC number2826

Douce noir (also known as Bonarda, Corbeau and Charbono) is a red

Argentina
.

It arrived in Savoy in the early 19th century, and by the end of the century it was the most widely grown red wine grape in the region. It is the second most widely planted red grape in Argentina (after

California where it is known as Charbono.[1]

In California, Bonarda/Douce noir/Charbono is produced in very limited amounts with the grape having been described as a "cult wine" for its scarcity and devotion of its connoisseurs.[2] However, journalists such as Alan Goldfarb describes the variety as "... the Rodney Dangerfield of wine" and notes that it is a hard variety to find a market for.[3]

History and origins

Vineyards in Savoie where Douce noir likely originated

Some of the early synonyms of Douce noir, Plant de Turin and Turin, hinted that the grape have originated in the

ampelographers believe that the grape likely originated in the Savoie region of eastern France.[1][4]

In Savoie, the earliest mention of the grape variety dates to a letter written on November 24, 1803 by the mayor of Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny to the prefect of Savoie describing the grape varieties growing in his commune. Other documents showed that Douce noir was also widely planted in the communes of Arbin and Montmélian and by the end of the 19th century it was the most widely planted red grape variety in Savoie.[1]

Douce noir was also found outside of Savoie, particularly in

color of the wine that Douce noir can produce.[1]

Discovery of other plantings

While plantings of Bonarda/Douce noir dwindled in Italy and France, DNA research of grape varieties in other wine growing regions revealed that the grape was more widely planted than originally thought. In 2000 DNA analysis revealed that the Turca grape growing in the

Veneto wine region of northeast Italy since at least the early 20th century was actually Bonarda. This came after the discovery that the Charbono wine grape of California, introduced to the Napa Valley as Barbera by Italian immigrants in the early 19th century, was also Bonarda/Douce noir/Corbeau. Further research confirmed by 2008 that the Bonarda/Charbono grape that was the second most widely planted red grape variety in Argentina, after Malbec, was actually the Savoie wine grape Bonarda/Douce noir.[1]

Viticulture and relationship to other grapes

DNA profiling has shown that Douce noir, which is known as Bonarda in Argentina, is not related to any of the Italian grape varieties, such as Croatina (pictured) that are also known as Bonarda.

Bonarda/Douce noir is a

diurnal temperature variations from a drop in night time temperature.[2]

In California, many of the Bonarda/Douce noir/Charbono

hectoliters/hectares) while younger plantings can often produce 6 to 8 tons/acre (approximately 114 to 152 hl/ha).[2]

Despite sharing several synonyms and often being confused for one or the other, Douce noir has no known relationship to the Piedmontese grapes Dolcetto and Bonarda Piemontese nor to any of the other Italian varieties that have Bonarda as a synonym such as Croatina and Uva Rara. It also has no known relationship to Douce Noire grise an old French variety that according to ampelographer Pierre Galet is no longer cultivated.[1]

Wine regions

Today Douce noir is far more likely to be found in the

Vin de Pays d'Allobrogie designation.[1]

In Argentina, the 18,759 hectares (46,354 acres) of Bonarda/Douce noir makes it is the second most widely planted red grape variety in the country after Malbec and representing 8% of the country's total vineyard plantings.[5] The vast majority of the plantings are in the Mendoza wine region but significant plantings can also be found in the La Rioja, San Juan, and (the relatively unknown) Catamarca provinces. Here the grape is used for both blending (sometimes with Malbec or even Cabernet Sauvignon) but also as a varietal wine that Master of Wine Jancis Robinson notes has the potential to be of high quality.[1]

California Charbono

Harold Olmo from the University of California, Davis was one of the first to realize that Inglenook's plantings of Barbera were not the Italian wine grape but rather a completely different variety, Bonarda/Charbono. Later discoveries would show that California's Charbono was actually the Italian wine grape Bonarda/Douce noir.

In California, where the grape is known as Charbono, the variety has a long history in the Napa Valley where it was an important variety for producers such as

Albert Winkler, confirm that these various plantings of Barbera and Pinot noir were, in fact, a different grape altogether, which was called Bonarda/Charbono. Inglenook would release its first varietal labeled Charbono in 1941. In 1999, Carole Meredith, also of UC-Davis, would link Charbono to the grape Bonarda/Douce noir/Corbeau.[2]

In 2008, there were 36 hectares (88 acres) of Bonarda/Charbono/Douce noir with nearly half of those plantings in Napa Valley, particularly in the warm

Mount Veeder.[6] While sometimes used a blending variety, the grape has been prominently featured as a varietal or major component of wines from Heitz Wine Cellars, Turley Wine Cellars, Castoro Cellars, Pear Valley Vineyards Robert Foley,[1][4] and Bonny Doon Vineyard.[2]

Styles

A California Douce noir labeled as Charbono.

In the Old World wine regions of France and Italy, Bonarda/Douce noir is often used as blending grape contributing to the

age in the bottle for 10 to 20 years.[2]

In Argentina, varietal examples of Douce noir/Bonarda are similarly characterized by a deep purple color with notes of

vegetal flavors.[7]

Bonarda/Douce noir lends itself to moderate

chicken, cheese and seafood dishes in heavy sauces.[2]

Synonyms

Over the years Bonarda/Douce noir has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Alcantino, Aleante, Batiolin, Bathiolin (in

Trentino region of Italy), Turin (in Jura) and Turino.[1][8]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Patrica Savoie "Charbono: A Grape Struggles to Avoid Extinction" Wine Business Monthly. May 2003 issue. Accessed: April 27th, 2013
  3. ^ a b Alan Goldfarb "Charbono: The Misunderstood Grape Breaks Through…Barely" Appellation America, January 25th, 2008
  4. ^ a b Richard Nalley "Paging Charbono and Mencia" Forbes, October 10th, 2009
  5. ^
    ISBN 9781402786259
    .
  6. ^ Appellation America "Charbono" Grape profiles. Accessed: April 27th, 2013
  7. ISBN 0-15-100714-4
  8. ^ Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) Douce noir Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: April 26th, 2013
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