Bachet Noir

Bachet Noir is a traditional French variety of red wine grape that is a sibling of Chardonnay. A little is still grown in the Aube, where it is used to add colour and body to Gamay wines.

History

DNA fingerprinting has shown that it is one of many grapes to be the result of a cross between Gouais Blanc (Heunisch) and Pinot noir, making it a sibling of famous varieties such as Chardonnay and Aligoté. Gouais Blanc was widely grown by the French peasantry in the Medieval ages. This offered lots of opportunities for hybridisation, and the offspring benefited from hybrid vigour as the parents were genetically quite different.

The fact that it is now only found in the Aube, and is descended from grapes that have been grown locally for hundreds of years, suggests that it originated to the north of Burgundy.

Distribution and Wines

Tiny amounts of Bachet Noir are grown in the Aube, between Champagne and Chablis. It contributes colour and body to the red wines of this northerly region.

Vine and Viticulture

Bachet noir has small, winged bunches of small grapes

Synonyms

Bachet, Bachey, François, François Noir, François Noir De Bar-Sur-Aube, Gris Bachet^[1]

See also

• Other Gouais Blanc/Pinot crosses include Aubin Vert, Auxerrois, Beaunoir, Franc Noir de la-Haute-Saône, Gamay Blanc Gloriod, Gamay noir, Melon, Knipperlé, Peurion, Romorantin, Roublot, and Sacy

Notes and references

Further reading

• Robinson, Jancis (1992). Vines, Grapes and Wines: The Wine Drinker's Guide to Grape Varieties. Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1857329995. 
• Robinson, Jancis (2006). The Oxford Companion to Wine, third edition. Oxford University Press. 978-0198609902. 

External links

• VIVC Bibliography