Blanc Verdet, a very interesting white grape variety, once planted in our vineyards

The grape variety was mentioned very early on, in 1736, in a list of grape varieties cited by Abbé Bellet. This grape variety also went by the names Verdet and Petit Blanc Verdet, both in his Bordeaux inventory and in his Cadillac inventory, where it is noted that it should be planted in poor, lean soils. In 1824, in his Traité sur les vins du Médoc et les autres vins rouges et blancs du département de la Gironde, W. Franck mentioned Verdot among the white grape varieties, and it is likely that he was also referring to Blanc Verdet. This was, in any case, the view of G. Bord in 1932. Jullien, in 1832, also noted that Blanc Verdet was among the grape varieties found in the finest growths. The variety was also confirmed by Comte Odart in 1844 under the name Verdet. It was later recorded by Féret as a secondary white grape variety. In 1832, Jullien noted: ‘The excellent white wines of Grave are made with sauvignon, blanc doux, semilion, cruchinet, verdelette and chalosse; those of Pontac are the product of blanquette, sauvignon, semilion, rousselet, malvoisie and a few vines of folle blanche.’ There is every reason to believe that by verdelette he was referring to Blanc Verdet. This grape variety was widespread in Sauternes and the Graves. Blanc Verdet buds late. The grape bunches remain green right up to the harvest (second ripening period), hence its name. It is harvested late, at the same time as Blanc Auba. It only performs well in warm conditions. It is sensitive to disease and prone to botrytis at harvest time, before it has even reached full ripeness. A capricious grape variety that winegrowers naturally abandoned, but one that we find interesting to trial on our Graves soils. Blanc Verdet almost completely disappeared with phylloxera, although it was still mentioned in 1878.