Bourboulenc

Infobox grape variety
name = Bourboulenc


caption =
species = "Vitis vinifera"
also_called = "See list of synonyms"
origin = France
hazards =
regions = Southern Rhône, Provence, Languedoc
notable_wines =

Bourboulenc is a white wine grape variety primarily grown in southern France. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône, Provence and Languedoc.cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson | encyclopedia=Oxford Companion to Wine |edition= Third Edition |title=Bourboulenc |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=100 ]

Bourboulenc is a late-ripening grape variety with tight bunches of large grapes, that can be prone to rot in some years. Well-made Bourboulenc wine can have good acidity level, body, penetrating character, citrus aromas and a hint of smoke, but if the grapes are picked too soon the wines have a thin, neutral taste. [ Oz Clarke "Encyclopedia of Grapes" Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144 ]

There were about convert|800|ha of Bourboulenc in France around the year 2000.

Wines

Varietal Bourboulenc is rare, but is allowed into a number of white wine appellations of southern France. Only in white La Clape, a geographical designation that may be used in conjunction with the "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC) Coteaux du Languedoc, is Bourboulec the dominant grape variety. White La Clape must contain a minimum of 40% Bourboulenc. [cite encyclopedia |editor=Jancis Robinson | encyclopedia=Oxford Companion to Wine |edition= Third Edition |title=Clape, La |year=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |pages=172 ]

Appellations where Bourboulenc may be included

French AOCs that may include the variety are:
* Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, where Bourboulenc was grown on 1% of the vineyard surface in 2004. [ [http://www.chateauneuf.dk/en/production/grapes.htm www.chateauneuf.dk: Grapes] , accessed on July 8, 2008]
* Côtes du Ventoux AOC
* Lirac AOC
* Tavel AOC
* Vacqueyras AOC
* Côtes du Rhône AOC
* Côtes du Rhône-Villages AOC
* Bandol AOC
* Cassis AOC
* Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence AOC

History

Bourboulenc has been grown in southern France for centuries, and it has been proposed that it could be of Greek origin. The French vineyard area grown with Bourboulenc dropped by about half in the 1970s and doubled again in the 1980s, and Bourboulenc has primarily increased in popularity in Languedoc.

Synonyms

Synonyms for Bourboulenc include Berlou Blanc, Blanquette, Blanquette du Frontonnais, Blanquette du Gard, Blanquette Menue, Bourbojlanc, Bourboulenco, Bourbouleng, Bourboulenque, Bourbounenco, Burbulen, Clairete Dorée a Paulhan, Clairette á Grains Ronds, Clairette Blanche, Clairette Doree, Clairette Grosse, Clairette Rousse, Clairette Rousse du Var, Doucillon, Frappad, Grosse Clairette, Malvoisie, Malvoisie a la Clape, Mourterille, Ondenc, Picardan, Roussaou, Roussette, Roussette Du Vaucluse. [ [http://www.vivc.bafz.de/datasheet/dataResult.php?data=1612 Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Bourboulenc] , accessed on July 8, 2008] Note that these synonyms overlap with the proper names and synonyms of several other varieties of Rhône and nearby regions, such as Altesse, Clairette Blanche and Picardan.

References