Pre-phylloxera

Designation for a European (especially French) wine from the time before phylloxera, i.e. at least before the year 1860. It was around this time that the pest first appeared in Europe. It is repeatedly claimed and reported at tastings of old wines that the quality of wines from ungrafted, original vines - so-called direct carriers - was allegedly clearly better before this catastrophe. The doctrine is that grafting has no influence on wine quality and that the characteristics of the rootstock are not passed on to the upper part or the wine pressed from it. However, there may very well be physiological-chemical interactions between the two parts.

However, a comparison is only possible for a privileged few who taste ancient wines at special events. But even for them, a direct, objective judgement is not possible, because a 150-year-old wine is difficult to compare with today's products due to the changes that took place during that time. And also the comparison of, for example, a Merlot from Argentina (where ungrafted vines are common) with a Merlot from France from a grafted vine is not meaningful as a comparison. In order to make a serious comparison possible, one would have to grow both vine varieties of at best several grape varieties in one vineyard, hope that the (still occurring) phylloxera does not occur, obtain wines from them and compare them.