The white grape variety (also Ravat 6, Ravat Chardonnay 6) is an interspecific new breeding between Seibel 5474 x Chardonnay. It contains genes from Vitis labrusca, Vitis lincecumii, Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris and Vitis vinifera. The hybrid was crossed in France by Jean François Ravat (+1940) in the early 1930s. The medium-ripening vine with slightly pink berries is resistant to downy mildew, but very susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis. It yields fairly simple white wines that are prone to oxidation. In the late 1950s, it still occupied about 600 hectares of vines in central eastern France. Today it is grown in tiny quantities in the Burgundy and Loire regions. In 2016, only six hectares of vines were still designated (Kym Anderson).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)
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