The red grape variety is an interspecific new breeding between Jaeger 70 (Munson) x unknown Vitis vinifera-parent variety. Synonyms include 7120 Couderc, C 7120, Contassot 20, Couderc, Couderc 71-20, and Plant Verni. It contains genes from Vitis lincecumii, Vitis rupestris, and Vitis vinifera. The hybrid was discovered at the end of the 19th century by Eugène Contassot and handed over to the vine breeder Georges Couderc (1850-1928), who selected and further bred it. Later, it was named in honor of Georges Couderc.
The late ripening, high-yielding vine is resistant to both powdery mildew types, but susceptible to chlorosis. It produces high-alcohol, dark-colored red wines with a pronounced blackcurrant aroma (Cassis). At the beginning of the 20th century, it was widely cultivated in France, occupying around 27,000 hectares of vineyard area in the 1950s. It was then uprooted due to its aggressive taste. The stock has shrunk to 198 hectares in France. However, it is very popular in Brazil, covering 2,136 hectares here. There is also a small stock in the US state of Missouri. In 2016, a total of 2,136 hectares of vineyard area were recorded with a declining trend (Kym Anderson).
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien