Baratuciat is a whiteItalian winegrape variety that is grown in thePiedmont wine region of northwest Italy. For most of its history, Baratuciat was used mainly as atable grape with some limited use for wine production withsweetlate-harvestdessert wines.[1] On 23 June 2008 the grape was officially added to the Italian registry of wine grape varieties.[2]
In thePiedmontese language, the nameBaratuciat is similar to the term used in the local dialect to denotecat'stesticles, whichampelographers theorize may be a reference to themorphological shape of the grape's berries[3] or to the characteristic "Sauvignon blanc-like" aromas of thegrape, and wine made from it, which can be similar to a cat'slitter box andelderflowers.[1]
Today, Baratuciat is found almost exclusively in theprovince of Turin, particularly in theSusa Valley, where it is found in the villages ofAlmese,Buttigliera Alta,Rosta,Rubiana andVillar Dora.[1]
Unlike many Piemontese varieties, Baratuciat does not have a long history of wine production use in Piedmont with only written records in the twentieth and twenty-first century describing its use for both table grape andwinemaking. Ampelographers believe that the nameBaratuciat is derived from the term used in the local Piemontese dialect for the testicles of cats.[1]
Baratuciat is amid-ripening grape variety that can be very vigorous and prone to producing a largecanopy andhigh yields if not kept in check by winterpruning,green harvesting andcanopy management techniques throughout thegrowing season. The grape tends to be ahigh acid variety that lends itself well to balancing thesugars in the production of sweet, late-harvestdessert wines.[1]
Baratuciat berries tend to be small with very thick skins that are prone to infection bybotrytis bunch rot. While for some grape varieties, such as Sauvignon blanc,Furmint andSémillon, growing in some wine regions, such asSauternes inBordeaux and theTokaj wine region ofHungary, the development of "noble rot" can be desirable[4] in the production of dessert wines. But in the case of Baratuciat, the presence ofBotrytis cinerea is usually considered aviticultural hazard.[1]
Baratuciat was only added to the official registry ofItalian grape varieties in 2008 which means that plantings of the variety were not counted during the 2000 census. However, ampelographers believe that the grape is almost exclusively grown in the Susa Valley located within the province of Turin. The villages of Almese, Buttigliera Alta, Rosta, Rubiana and Villar Dora have the most significant plantings of Baratuciat with onewinery in Almese cultivating the grape on a commercial scale since the early 21st century.[1] Wine critics are watching the development of plantings of the variety within the (currently) red wine onlyDenominazione di origine controllata (DOC) of Valsusa, noting that the grape has "potential" in this region.[5]
A 2011 study by theUniversity of Adelaide in Australia, documented 2 hectares (4.9 acres) of the grape variety being cultivated in 2010 which ranked it as the 1124th most cultivated wine grape variety in the world.[6]
According toMaster of WineJancis Robinson, Baratuciat tends to produce very "Sauvignon blanc-like" wines with high levels of acidity and characteristic elder flower and "cat box" aromas. Like many white Italian wine varieties, the grape can also have some slight bitter notes on thefinish. Throughout most of its history, the grape was mainly used as an eating variety on the table with some limited use for late harvest wines.[1]
Over the years, Baratuciat has also been known by or with the synonyms of Bertauciat[7] and Bertacuciàt.[1]