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Douce noir

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Douce noir

Douce noir (also known as Bonarda, Corbeau and Charbono) is a red Savoyard wine grape variety that has historically been grown in the Savoy region, but today is more widely planted in 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 Malbec). The grape is also grown in California where it is known as Charbono.

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. 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.

Some of the early synonyms of Douce noir, Plant de Turin and Turin, hinted that the grape has originated in the Piedmont wine region of Italy. The name Douce noir itself means "sweet black" in French which is similar to the Italian name of the Piedmont grape Dolcetto nero ("small sweet black") which further lead to the fact that Douce noir had Piedmontese origins. This hypothesis, as well as any relation with Dolcetto, would later be dispelled by DNA analysis in the 21st century and today ampelographers believe that the grape likely originated in the Savoie region of eastern France.

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.

Douce noir was also found outside of Savoie, particularly in Jura, where the grape was known as Corbeau which means "crow" and is thought to be a reference to the inky black color of the wine that Douce noir can produce.

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.

Bonarda/Douce noir is a very late ripening grape variety that is often harvested after Cabernet Sauvignon. To extend the growing season, some vignerons will prune early in January in order to promote early bud break. The grape has very thick skins and a high phenolic content which requires heat in order to achieve physiological ripeness but excessive heat can risk creating "cooked flavors" in the resulting wines. Growers in California have discovered some of the more ideal vineyard locations for Douce noir/Charbono are warm-climate sites with significant diurnal temperature variations from a drop in night time temperature.

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