| Baco blanc | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 A bottle of 1956 Armagnac made when Baco blanc was the primary grape variety of the region | |
| Color of berry skin | Blanc |
| Species | Interspecific crossing (French-American hybrid) |
| Also called | see list ofsynonyms |
| Notable wines | Armagnac |
| VIVC number | 868 |
Baco blanc orBaco 22A is aFrench-American hybridgrape variety. It is across ofFolle blanche and theNoah grape, created in 1898 by the grape breederFrançois Baco.[1] Folle blanche is itsVitis vinifera parent. Noah, its other parent, is itself a cross ofVitis labrusca andVitis riparia.[2]
Baco blanc was developed to produce some of the same flavors as Folle blanche but without the susceptibility to Americangrape disease andphylloxera. In the 20th century it was widely planted in theGascony region for uses inbrandy production. BothArmagnac andCognac (from theCharentes andCharente-Maritime districts north of Gascony) are brandies made from white grapes –Ugni blanc, Folle blanche andColombard – but only Armagnac was permitted under French regulations to use Baco blanc and until the late 1970s, Baco blanc was the primary grape of Armagnac.[2][3]
Following the grape's decline in the late 20th century, there was some speculation about the future of the variety, especially after a 1992Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) decree that all vines of Baco blanc were to be uprooted by 2010. However, advocates for the grape variety and its historical role in Armagnac were able to persuade French authorities to continue permitting its use in the distilled wines from the Armagnac region.[4]
Baco blanc was bred in 1898 by French grape breeder François Baco from a crossing of theVitis vinifera Folle blanche, which was having difficulties taking to therootstockgrafting after thephylloxera epidemic of the mid to late 19th century, and the American hybrid grape Noah (itself a previously crossing of an unknownVitis labrusca species and theVitis riparia grapeTaylor. Four years earlier François Baco had used Folle blanche and an unknown species ofVitis riparia to produce a dark skin version of Baco blanc known asBaco noir.[5]
Prior to Baco noir's development, Folle blanche was the primarily grape variety for theeau de vie grape brandies produced in theCognac andArmagnac regions of France. But, in addition to its difficulties with the new American rootstock, the grape was highly susceptible to several grape diseases includinggrey rot in the Cognac region andblack rot in Armagnac. The aim of François Baco was to produce a grape that had many of the neutral flavors and characteristics which made Folle blanche favorable fordistillation but without the susceptibility that had plagued Folle Blanche growers. While growers in the Cognac region began adopting Ugni blanc (the same grape known inItaly as Trebbiano), growers in the Armagnac region began to enthusiastically plant Baco's new white hybrid.[5]
For most of the 20th century, Baco blanc was the primary grape of the Armagnac region. Its reached it peak in the 1970s when more than 85% of all plantings in the area were Baco blanc, accounting for more than 10,700 hectares (26,000 acres). However, as Ugni blanc began gaining more of a foothold in otherGascon wine regions, the plantings of Baco blanc began to gradually decline. By the end of the 20th century, Ugni blanc had eclipsed Baco blanc as the most widely planted grape in Armagnac.[5]
This decline led to some speculation about the future of the variety, especially after a 1992 (INAO) decree that all vines of Baco blanc were to be uprooted by 2010. However, advocates for the grape variety and its historical role in Armagnac were able to persuade French authorities to continue permitting its use in the distilled wines from the Armagnac region. While far from its early to mid-20th century prominence, the variety continues to play an important role in the Armagnac region and, as of 2005, theBureau National Interprofessionnel de L'Armagnac (BNIA) reported that the grape variety was still used in the production of nearly half of all Armagnac.[4]
Baco blanc is found primarily in France and was one of the "work-horse" hybrids that the country turned to following the phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century. While scattered plantings could be found throughout France, most of the Baco blanc plantings could be found on the west side of the country (in many of the areas where its parent vine, Folle blanche is found, from theSouth West France wine regions of Gascony all the way to theLoire Valley where it was particularly popularMuscadet andAnjou wine-Saumur regions of the "Middle Loire". The early to the mid-20th century saw a particular "boom period" in the Loire, with its coolmaritime climate in most areas, for hybrid varieties. At late as 1979, Baco blanc along with other hybrid grapes such as Baco noir,Chambourcin,Plantet andVillard noir accounting for more than 10% of all grape plantings.[5]
But since the mid to late 20th century, the grape variety has fallen out of favor amongFrench wine producers who are continuing pulling up their hybrid grapes and returning tovinifera-only plantings (which are permitted forAppellation d'Origine Contrôlée AOC wines). Even in its Armagnac stronghold, Baco blanc vines are being uprooted and replanted with Ugni blanc. Similarly, Baco blanc experienced a brief period of popularity in the emergingNew Zealand wine industry during the 20th century but as that century drew to a close, New Zealand producers also turned away from the variety to concentrate onvinifera grapes such asMüller-Thurgau,Chardonnay andSauvignon blanc.[2] Today, what little Baco blanc is left in New Zealand is used primarily for distillations andspirits.[5]
While Baco blanc does not share Folle blanche's sensitivities to grey and blackgrape rots, it can be susceptible topowdery mildew. This susceptibility is enhanced due to the tendency of Baco blanc vines tobud early andripen late, putting them at risk to rain and moisture of both early spring and earlyharvest time. However, while itsgrowing season cycle doesn't bode well for wine production, its tendency to produce highacid, neutral flavor grapes with lowsugars does work well for distillation.[5]
According toMaster of WineJancis Robinson, grape-based spirits made from Baco blanc often are not as fine and complex as those made from Folle blanche or Ugni blanc. But they do have a tendency toage quickly, which creates a market for brandies meant for near-term consumption.[5]
Baco blanc and its wines are known under a variety of synonyms including 22 A Baco, Baco 22 A, Baco 22-A, Baco 221, Maurice Baco, and Piquepoul de Pays.[1]
