The white grape variety originates from France. The name means "fat" and refers to the oily viscosity of the must. Synonyms are Blanquette, Blanquette Grise, Chalosse, Cholosse, Clairette Égreneuse, Gras, Gras Blanc, Grèce Blanche, Gros Blanc, Plant de Graisse, Plant de Grèce, Président, Ramassou Blanc and Tizourine Bou-Afrara. According to DNA analyses carried out in 2004, it is one of the many direct descendants of the Gouais Blanc variety. The late-ripening variety is susceptible to botrytis. It produces simple white wines with strong acidity that are well suited for the production of Armagnac. The variety is grown in the Gers department in south-west France. In the 1950s, it still occupied 2,700 hectares, but this stock has dwindled extremely. In 2016, one hectare of vines was designated (Kym Anderson).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
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