VinoLoverToday, most of the Jura vineyard is occupied by a white grape variety, but this was not the case until the arrival of phylloxera, when white grapes were in the minority. At that time it was counted that the number of varieties planted was more than 40 different grapes.
To date, more than 50 grape varieties have been preserved and catalogued, most of them belonging to the winegrowers who have discovered them in their vineyards over the years
The Poulsard grape, also known as Ploussard, a term used mainly in the town of pupilin, is a French red wine grape variety, specifically from the Jura wine region.
Poulsard occupies the largest part of the planted area among the reds, 14%, mostly on heavy clay and/or marl soils. This type of grape is characterised by a thin and very thin dark skin, with a low quantity of phenols (colour), which means that the wines produced from it, although very perfumed, are also very pale, even with prolonged maceration
Today we will tell you everything you should know about this particular and marvellous type of grape.
Regions where the Poulsard grape is found
This variety is almost exclusively found in the east of France, specifically in the Jura, between Burgundy and Switzerland. Thanks to its great versatility and distinctive floral aromas, it was one of the most widely planted grapes in the Jura, but due to changing fashions in the wine market and various viticultural difficulties, the number of plantings has decreased. Despite this, it is still the second most widespread grape in the Jura.
This grape is one of the varieties allowed by the AOCs of the Jura, including Arbois and Côtes du Jura, where it is blended with pinot noir and trousseau noir, to make rosé and red wines
In the AOCs L’Etoile it is used to produce blanc de noir (white wine) and in the AOCs Cremant du Jura where it is used to produce sparkling rosé and white wine.
In the Bugey region near Beaujolais, poulsard is blended with modeuse, pinot noir and gamay to produce light red wines.
In France, the ploussard is officially registered in the Catalogue des variétes de Vigne; it is on list A and is listed.
How to grow Poulsard grapes?
This grape variety is extremely delicate, sensitive to spring frosts and heat shocks. It must be managed with long pruning and palisading. Although this variety can grow on many soils in different vineyards, it adapts much better to soils dominated by clay, limestone or marl.
Technological potential
The berries are oval and medium to large in size, while the clusters are small and compact. Poulsard produces very aromatic wines of great finesse, but lacking in vigour. They are variable in colour, sometimes taking on an onion skin tone.
What kind of wines can be produced from the Poulsard grape?
Technically, the Poulsard grape is a grape for making red wine, a varietal wine (most commonly blended with other grape varieties to enhance the colour or for the Poulsard to add aroma to the blend) and sometimes used to make grey wine, as the low extraction of the colouring components and the oxidation of the must, bring clarity much more quickly.
In general, varieties with red skins provide colour in a few days or hours during the maceration process, but in the case of Poulsard, the pigmentation is so low that very little colour is transferred to the must, even with a maceration of more than a week.
Due to its low phenolic components, the Poulsard grape is usually blended with other types of grapes to make rosé wines, but blanc de noir wines and sparkling cremants can also be made. Among the varieties produced we can highlight
Crémant du Jura
This is a sparkling wine that is made using the traditional method and is produced with the permitted grape varieties of poulsard, pinot noir, chardonnay, trousseau and savagnin. In contrast to champagne, crémant du Jura is sharper, with an aroma of apples and green pears, and it is rare to get yeast notes in it.
Macvin du Jura
This is a liqueur wine, which is made from unfermented red or white must, to which marc spirit (Marc du Jura) is added and aged in barrels for at least 10 months. This wine is quite sweet on the palate as it retains a considerable amount of residual sugar. The addition of eau-de-vie results in a drink with a higher alcohol content than other wines. The grape varieties permitted for the production of this wine are: trousseau, pinot noir, poulsard, chardonnay and savagnin.
Vin de paille
This wine is made mainly from the permitted grape varieties of savagnin and chardonnay and to a lesser extent from poulsard. After the winemaking process, a naturally sweet wine is obtained, with an alcohol content between 14.5 and 17, then it spends 3 years in small barrels and develops its aromas of prunes, honey, candied fruit, candied orange or caramel.
Officially, it is known that more than 80% of the Jura’s production is still used to make red wine.
Viticulture
The Poulsard grape has a tendency to bud early, which classifies it in a risky position due to the early spring frost. This vine is very prone to diseases such as grey rot, powdery mildew and downy mildew. In certain harvests, coulure can settle and end up affecting the yield, which is generally low.
These aspects, together with its low content of colouring pigments and phenolic compounds, have led to a decrease in plantings of the grape, although, as mentioned above, it is still the second most important grape in the Jura.
Historically, poulsard was used in Eastern France as a table grape, but due to its thin skin, it was difficult to transport it beyond the local villages.
Poulsard clones
Overtime, the Poulsard grape has mutated several times, which has allowed clones of the variety to emerge. Nowadays we can find not only the traditional red grape, but also a white grape and a pink variety of Poulsard. There is also a variety with a darker skin and very aromatic, which resembles a muscatel. The Poulsard vine has 4 authorised clones represented by the numbers 464, 584, 1047 and 1231. In 2005, a conservatory of 14 clones was established in Jura.
VinoLover
Claudio Comella
