Beaunoir

Beaunoir is a traditional French variety of red wine grape that is a sibling of Chardonnay. The 'beautiful black' grape produces a thin wine and not much is grown these days.

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, making it a full 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.

Distribution and Wines

Like Bachet Noir, Beaunoir has almost disappeared from its home in Châtillon-sur-Seine and the Aube, between Champagne and Burgundy. The wine is very ordinary, with low alcohol and little colour.

Vine and Viticulture

Beaunoir is quite vigorous, producing small compact bunches of small grapes.

Synonyms

Cep Gris, Co Gris, Mourillon, Pinot D'Ai, Pinot D'Orleans, Seau Gris, Sogris^[1]

See also

• Other Gouais Blanc/Pinot crosses include Aubin Vert, Auxerrois, Bachet noir, 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