Grolleau (grape)
Encyclopedia
Grolleau or Grolleau Noir is a red French wine
grape variety grown primarily in the Loire Valley
of France. The name is derived from the French word grolle, meaning "crow
" and is said to reflect the deep black berries of the Grolleau vine. The grape is most commonly made into rosé
wine, particularly when it is grown in the Anjou region where is the primarily grape of the Rosé d'Anjou wine. Grolleau wines tend to be low in alcohol
and have high acidity.
region in the early 19th century. Ampelographers believe that the grape is likely related to the ancient variety Gouais blanc
. The Grolleau vine experienced its high point of popularity during the mid to late 20th century with the wide spread marketing appealing of Rosé d'Anjou wine, of which Grolleau was the principal component. Often blended with Gamay
, Grolleau dominated Rosé d'Anjou was a sweet, easy drinking quaffing
wine. Towards the turn of the 21st century, Rosé d'Anjou (and by extension Grolleau), started to fall out of favor in lieu of the Cabernet Franc
and Cabernet Sauvignon
dominated rosé Cabernet d'Anjou. By 2000 there were only 5,500 acres (2,200 hectares) of Grolleau planted in the Middle Loire.
The decline has been attributed, in part, to Grolleau's reputation for poor quality as noted by wine experts such as Jancis Robinson
and Tom Stevenson
. Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
, has taken a dim view of Grolleau's potential, recommending in his wine buying guide that growers in the Loire Valley should rip up all Grolleau vines and replace them with grape varieties that have more potential for quality wine production such as Gamay and Cabernet Franc.
(AOC)s of Anjou, Touraine and Saumur AOC. The grape is limited to just rosé wines and is not permitted by AOC regulations into the red blends of these regions. It is also permitted as an ingredient in the sparkling wine
s of the Cremant de Loire, Anjou AOC and Saumur AOC.
s. The grapes are thin skinned with not a lot of phenolic compounds but after veraison
they produce color ranging from gray to bluish/black depending on the clone. There are currently five clones of the Grolleau vine authorized for viticulture in France. The vine tends to bud early which can make it prone to damage by spring frost
s. The long branches makes its susceptible to wind damage, requiring that it be planted near hillside shelter from the wind. Grolleau is sensitive to several grape diseases including excoriose and stem rot.
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
grape variety grown primarily in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley (wine)
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...
of France. The name is derived from the French word grolle, meaning "crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
" and is said to reflect the deep black berries of the Grolleau vine. The grape is most commonly made into rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
wine, particularly when it is grown in the Anjou region where is the primarily grape of the Rosé d'Anjou wine. Grolleau wines tend to be low in alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and have high acidity.
History
The first documented plantings of Grolleau was in the CharenteCharente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
region in the early 19th century. Ampelographers believe that the grape is likely related to the ancient variety Gouais blanc
Gouais Blanc
Gouais Blanc or Weißer Heunisch is a white grape variety that is seldom grown today but is important as the ancestor of many traditional French and German grape varieties. The name Gouais derives from the old French adjective ‘gou’, a term of derision befitting its traditional status as the grape...
. The Grolleau vine experienced its high point of popularity during the mid to late 20th century with the wide spread marketing appealing of Rosé d'Anjou wine, of which Grolleau was the principal component. Often blended with Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
, Grolleau dominated Rosé d'Anjou was a sweet, easy drinking quaffing
Quaffing
Quaffing is a wine term to describe a category of wine that is 'simple and everyday'; that is cheap enough to be consumed in large quantities, usually available also in bigger containers. A "quaffing wine"....
wine. Towards the turn of the 21st century, Rosé d'Anjou (and by extension Grolleau), started to fall out of favor in lieu of the Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
dominated rosé Cabernet d'Anjou. By 2000 there were only 5,500 acres (2,200 hectares) of Grolleau planted in the Middle Loire.
The decline has been attributed, in part, to Grolleau's reputation for poor quality as noted by wine experts such as Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
and Tom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson is a British author who has been writing about wine for more than 30 years. Described by his colleagues as one of today’s most prolific wine authors, Stevenson is regarded as the world’s leading authority on Champagne...
. Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
, has taken a dim view of Grolleau's potential, recommending in his wine buying guide that growers in the Loire Valley should rip up all Grolleau vines and replace them with grape varieties that have more potential for quality wine production such as Gamay and Cabernet Franc.
Wine regions
The Grolleau vine is found mostly in the Middle Loire region where it is a permitted grape variety for the rosé Appellation d'origine contrôléeAppellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC)s of Anjou, Touraine and Saumur AOC. The grape is limited to just rosé wines and is not permitted by AOC regulations into the red blends of these regions. It is also permitted as an ingredient in the sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s of the Cremant de Loire, Anjou AOC and Saumur AOC.
Viticulture
Grolleau is a high yielding grapevine that ripens reliably and relatively early for the cool climate Loire Valley-often right after Gamay. The vine produces medium sized clusters clinging to the vine via its long, slender pedicelPedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
s. The grapes are thin skinned with not a lot of phenolic compounds but after veraison
Veraison
Véraison is a viticulture term meaning "the onset of ripening". It is originally French, but has been adopted into English use...
they produce color ranging from gray to bluish/black depending on the clone. There are currently five clones of the Grolleau vine authorized for viticulture in France. The vine tends to bud early which can make it prone to damage by spring frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
s. The long branches makes its susceptible to wind damage, requiring that it be planted near hillside shelter from the wind. Grolleau is sensitive to several grape diseases including excoriose and stem rot.