Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot is a black grape from southwestern France. French cultivar data records maturity around three and a half to four weeks after Chasselas in its reference conditions; Bordeaux’s interprofessional description calls it late-ripening in its local context. Fully ripe fruit can produce deeply coloured, rich, firm-tannined wines, while Bordeaux producers often use it as a small blending component for colour, structure and aromatic depth.

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Malbec

Malbec is the international name for the black grape known in France as Côt, with Auxerrois used as a local name in Cahors. Genetic research traces it to southwestern France and identifies Magdeleine Noire des Charentes and Prunelard as its parents, although historical accounts differ over the most precise place of origin. The grape now has two defining reference points: structured, tannic Cahors and Argentina, where Malbec is the emblematic variety and styles range from rich fruit to fresher, floral high-altitude wines.

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Carignan

Carignan is a black grape associated with northeastern Spain and widely cultivated in southern France. Its late ripening and high fertility make site, crop level and harvest decisions especially consequential: technical sources describe both hard, herbaceous tannins in some conditions and more powerful, generous wines from limited crops on suitable sites. The name also crosses borders—Mazuela or Mazuelo in Spain, Carignane in the United States, and Carignano in Italy—while Cariñena is both a regional grape name and a wine designation. The precise national-origin record is inconsistent across databases, so the historical claim is kept qualified.

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Cinsault

Cinsaut is a black grape from southern France, probably Provence, whose generous cropping and drought tolerance make vineyard conditions especially important. In hot, dry sites with restrained yields, French technical sources describe the potential for supple, fruity wines and expressive rosé; high fertility can instead push yields beyond what makes good-quality fruit. In the Rhône it appears in both red blends and rosé, while South African growers have developed varietal bottlings as well as blends. The cultivar also has a significant South African connection: it is one parent of Pinotage.

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Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre is a late-ripening black grape of Spanish origin, known in Spain as Monastrell. It needs substantial warmth and a long season: French cultivar data records high heat requirements, vigorous upright growth and the need to manage crop load for full ripening. In France it is important in Bandol and southern Rhône wines; in Spain, Monastrell is a major reference in Jumilla. Its firm tannin and dark-fruit profile are regional tendencies, shaped by site, maturity and winemaking.

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