The day has not yet arrived when Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc will be relegated to the archives. But the tasting of varieties resistant to the main diseases opens up great prospects. Experimentation in IGP Val de Loire.
Artaban, coliris, vidoc, lilaro, these names may soon appear on the labels of Loire wines. Indeed, the interest of these new varieties is that they can do without treatments, since they are resistant to diseases such as mildew and powdery mildew, the recurring wounds of the vineyard. Whether in conventional or organic agriculture, these diseases force us to go back and forth in the vineyard, increasing the carbon footprint and the risk of residues in the finished product.
At the tasting
During a tasting of the IGP Pays de Loire wine union, the artaban vinified in dry rosé is quite fruity, moderately amyl (candy) but short. The coliris seduces in rosé with its menthol flavors, not too amyl, its rather ample mouth. But its finish seems a little harsh, a character that is also found in red, while the aromas of blackcurrant and grilled are flattering. For the lilaro, vegetal notes are unpleasant in rosé, whereas it explodes with aromas of blackcurrant and toast when it is vinified in red. The fruity aromas, the amyl notes and the acidity in rosé are fairly consistent with what is found in many Loire rosés. In red, it has personality and it charms with its very fruity character and its pleasant balance, without harshness on the finish. The Vidoc tasted only in red is extremely colorful, complex on the nose, with notes of truffle, smoke, lily, olive. The mouth disappoints, because if the tannins are fine, there is a slightly salty attack and a lack of flavor.
An experimental laboratory
Christophe Prouteau, the oenologist who collects opinions and leads the tasting, moderates: “ We need to step back, we cannot judge completely on these micro-vinifications “. When the trials are on a larger scale, with the variability of the winegrowers and their way of working, it will be different. We must not lose sight of the Loire criterion, the typicality of the wines. A blend with 10 or 15% resistant variety should be considered. The IGP, protected geographical indication, is an experimental laboratory for new varieties, because the legislation there is more flexible than for AOC wines, controlled designation of origin. Conclusions can be made more quickly.
Research began in the 19th century
Disease resistance has been a subject of study since the middle of the 19th century, when the diseases from North America, powdery mildew, downy mildew, black rot and phylloxera, arrived in Europe. Crosses were made between American and European vines to obtain resistant hybrids, but which quickly proved to be unsatisfactory from the point of view of taste. This led to the ban on planting hybrids for appellation wines in 1951. In France, today, the improvement of vines for resistance to mildew and powdery mildew is carried out by INRAE, in partnership with the French Institute of Vine and Wine since 2012.
Resistant and non-resistant varieties
The term varietal exists only in French and can only be used for vitis vinifera varieties such as gamay or chardonnay. The more generic term “variety” is used worldwide for all cultivated vines. As resistant vines are obtained by crossbreeding between vitis vinifera vines and Asian or American species, they should never be called “resistant grape varieties”, but “resistant varieties”.
