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POINT 7: THE GRAPE VARIETIES

"The harmony of contrasts"


HOW TO ANALYZE A LEAF AND IDENTIFY THE GRAPE VARIETY?

Our grape varieties have been chosen according to our terroir. Each has its own identity and can be easily recognized with the naked eye thanks to a study called ampelography.

Merlot

This grape variety originates from the Bordeaux vineyard. According to genetic analyses, Merlot is believed to be a cross between Cabernet Franc and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes.

How to recognize it:

  • Wedge-shaped form

  • Five or seven lobes

  • Open petiolar sinus

  • U-shaped base, sometimes with the bottom limited by the vein near the petiolar point


Cabernet Sauvignon

This grape variety, originating from the Bordeaux region, is believed—according to published genetic analyses—to be a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon.

How to recognize it:

  • Deep petiolar sinus in a wide and very rounded U-shape

  • Slightly overlapping lobes

  • Orbicular (round) shape

  • Seven lobes

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest grape varieties in Bordeaux and the parent of three other red grape varieties in the Bordeaux vineyard: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère.

How to recognize it:

  • Pentagon-shaped form

  • Five or seven lobes

  • Petiolar sinus shaped like a lyre

  • U-shaped base, sometimes with the bottom limited by the vein near the petiolar point

  • Teeth at the base of the petiole

  • Très dentelaire
Sauvignon Blanc

Central France or the Southwest are the two possible origin zones for this grape variety. According to published genetic analyses, Sauvignon is directly related to Savagnin. Sauvignon is sometimes called 'Savagnou' in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 'Douce blanche,' 'Blanc doux,' or 'Libournais' in Dordogne.

How to recognize it:

  • Petiolar sinus slightly open to open

  • Medium-sized teeth

  • Orbicular (round) shape

  • Five lobes

Semillon

It is believed to have appeared in the 16th century, resilient and hardy, aromatic, and often very high in sugar concentration. After the phylloxera crisis, it largely replaced Sauvignon Blanc in the Southwest of France, representing 80% of the grape plantings in Aquitaine at the beginning of the 20th century.

How to recognize it:

  • Orbicular (round) shape

  • Five lobes

  • Petiolar sinus more or less open

  • Highly serrated