The red grape variety originates from France. Synonyms are Madeleine and Vigne Suliacaise. It was already mentioned in 1847 under the name Madeleine by the French ampelographer P. Raguenaud. The vine was thought to be already extinct when in 2004 an unknown vine was found in an abandoned vineyard in the western French commune of Saint-Suliac on a hill called Mont Garrot near the monastery. Subsequently, another four vines were discovered in the département of Charente, here called Madeleine. Since viticulture in Brittany was abandoned more than 200 years ago, these are very old vines. DNA analyses carried out in 2008 by Dr Jean-Michel Boursiquot and Dr Carole Meredith in Montpellier and University of California (Davis) established that it is an unknown variety of the species Vitis vinifera; however, the exact parentage (parentage) is unknown.
Due to its early ripening, the variety was named Madeleine in the Charentes (common name for vines with this characteristic, especially in France). In order to avoid confusion with the numerous grape varieties of similar name, the name Magdeleine Noire des Charentes was given to the vine in 2008. Finally, in 2009, DNA analyses carried out by Dr Jean-Michel Boursiquot established that the Merlot variety resulted from a presumably natural cross between Magdeleine Noire des Charentes x Cabernet Franc. Magdeleine Noire des Charentes is also the parent variety of Cot (Malbec), as well as the two rather unknown varieties Mourtès and Guignard de Saintours. In 2016, no stocks were reported under Magdeleine Noire des Charentes (Kym Anderson).
Grape variety: Domaine de Vassal - Montpellier
Saint Suliac: By Ewan ar Born - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
