1921 Touraine Baco noir?!

[Don Rice]

A glimpse of a particularly uncertain time for Touraine winemakers. Grapes from these vine types were actually grown and vinified. Thank heavens vinifera tolerates grafting well.

from

CHAUVIGN Auguste. "Les hybrides producteurs-directs en Touraine. Composition et quilibre des lments constitutifs de quelques vins d'hybrides producteurs-directs en 1921." Revue de Viticulture, Paris: Bureaux de la "Revue de Viticulture", Tome LVIII, no.1510, 7 Juin 1923, pp.413-417.

 

[SFJoe]

Makes some mighty mean Armagnac. And the pinhead bureaucrats are making them pull it out.

 

[Don Rice]

and is "mean" a good or a bad thing?

Just joshing...

Why would they want to eliminate it if A) it enhances the product and B) it's been used for 100 yrs and C) it was developed there?

 

[Jeff Grossman]

It's a hybrid.

 

[SFJoe]

It's what Jeff said.

 

[BJ]

It does not conform to the Patrimonie.

 

[Don Rice]

Damned, with a word.

and yet, Mr Baco was French.

So an innocent little american vine heads to France, gets knocked up, and now they disown the offspring?
What's this world coming to?

I'm just glad it didn't catch on on Touraine

 

[Jeff Connell]

originally posted by Don Rice:
HybridDamned, with a word.

and yet, Mr Baco was French.

So an innocent little american vine heads to France, gets knocked up, and now they disown the offspring?
What's this world coming to?

I'm just glad it didn't catch on on Touraine

Have you read Christy Campbell's book Phylloxera? If not, you will find it very interesting. The hybrids that were developed and planted widely all over France were probably not the worst of the various responses to the devastation of phylloxera. But yes, thank Gods for the ancient custom of grafting. And it can be said that the hard line of the French government in outlawing hybrids (except for a few special cases such as in Armagnac) has served the French vigneron and his customers very well.

At the same time, I will be happy to invite you all to the hybrid jeebus, to serve you current and mature vintages of Baco Noir, Marechal Foch, Vidal, Seyval Blanc, St. Croix, l'Acadie Blanc, Frontenac, etc., etc. Where's Paul B? Is he not on this board?

 

[Jeff Grossman]

Where's Paul B?

Don't say such things even in jest!

This board has no preview function so it surely won't have an 'ignore this user' function....

 

[Don Rice]

Should you ever move forward with it, count us in. I trust your guidance in all things vitis, hybrid or otherwise.