Bourboulenc
Encyclopedia
Bourboulenc is a white wine
grape
variety primarily grown in southern France
. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône
, Provence
and Languedoc
.
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.
There were about 800 hectares (1,976.8 acre) of Bourboulenc in France around the year 2000.
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.
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.
, Clairette Blanche and Picardan
.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
variety primarily grown in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône
Rhône (wine region)
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
, Provence
Provence wine
Provence wine comes from the French wine-producing region of Provence in southeast France. The Romans called the area nostra provincia , giving the region its name...
and Languedoc
Languedoc wine
Languedoc - Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century has primarily referred to the northern part of the...
.
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.
There were about 800 hectares (1,976.8 acre) of Bourboulenc in France around the year 2000.
Wines
VarietalVarietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
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
Appellation 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) Coteaux du Languedoc, is Bourboulec the dominant grape variety. White La Clape must contain a minimum of 40% Bourboulenc.
Appellations where Bourboulenc may be included
French AOCs that may include the variety are:- Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOCChâteauneuf-du-Pape AOCChâteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhône Valley...
, where Bourboulenc was grown on 1% of the vineyard surface in 2004. - Côtes du Ventoux AOCCôtes du Ventoux AOCVentoux AOC is a wine-growing AOC in the southeastern region of the Rhône wine region of France, where the wines are produced in 51 communes of the Vaucluse département along the lower slopes of the Ventoux mountain and at the foot of the Vaucluse Mountains...
- Lirac AOCLirac AOCLirac is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the department of Gard situated in the low hills along the right bank of the Rhône river in the southern Rhône wine region of France. It is named after the town of Lirac. Bordering on the neighbouring cru of Tavel AOC, a rosé-only cru in...
- Tavel AOCTavel AOCTavel is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and just north of Avignon. Tavel wines are all rosé wines and must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%...
- Vacqueyras AOCVacqueyras AOCVacqueyras is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, along the banks of the River Ouvèze.It is primarily a red wine region with some white and rosé wines being produced...
- Côtes du Rhône AOCCôtes du Rhône AOCCôtes du Rhône is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for the Rhône wine region of France, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs...
- 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 GreekGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
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. Note that these synonyms overlap with the proper names and synonyms of several other varieties of Rhône and nearby regions, such as AltesseAltesse
Altesse or Roussette is a white French wine grape variety found primarily in the Savoy wine region of France. It yields small harvests and ripens late but is resistant to grey rot. Wines made from Altesse have exotic aromas, often together with citrus and herbs, and have good acidity...
, Clairette Blanche and Picardan
Picardan
Picardan or Picardan Blanc is a white wine grape which is one of 13 permitted blending grape within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in Rhône wine region in France, altohough very little planted. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue previously listed Oeillade Blanche as the primary name of the...
.