Also known as the Jean V, this grape variety is said to have been gifted to Duke François II by the Duke of Bourgogne, Charles the Bold… This vine may claim to have two dukes for godfathers, but that doesn’t make up for the uncertainty surrounding its arrival in Brittany. It’s a Bourgogne pinot noir, grafted in Couëron in the 15th century on the Duke’s Berligou estate.
This black variety is mentioned up to the 19th century, but not in any major way, until samples taken from the place in which was initially grown around 1930 brought it back from oblivion and into the Sèvre et Maine. It wasn’t until 1993 however, that it became part of the Conservatoire de la vigne, a living collection of vines surrounding Nantes viticulture museum, and until 2010 that a group to replanted this vine on its original plot in Couëron.
A genetic study carried out with guidance from the ITV confirmed the Berligou’s lineage as a descendant of the pinot noir variety, revealed enough differences after more than 500 years of independent living in Brittany for the Berligou to be considered a completely separate variety. Furthermore, its exceptional health attested to its successful acclimatisation to the Breton environment. In 2012, the Le Berligou association carried out its first harvest, giving a yield of 10hL/ha, a modest amount certainly, but perfectly acceptable given the vine’s youth (3 years old) and the fact that it had been a particularly bad spring that year. The 50 litres yielded were vinified as a rosé once the grapes had been destemmed and after a cold maceration ( 10°C for 48 hours). The must had a potential alcohol content of 12.3% and a total acidity of 4.5 g/l. The must underwent a spontaneous fermentation at 18°C. The resulting rosé had a strong colour, with very elegant notes of berry (mainly raspberry). The future looks promising for this vineyard in the Nantes area, which is particularly lacking in well-known reds.
Translation: Tilly O'Neill
