Grape Guide
Terret Noir
RedTerret Noir is the dark-skinned colour mutation of Terret, an old Languedoc variety that has been in steady retreat since the 1950s. It survives mostly as a minor blending component in southern French appellations, adding freshness and modest alcohol to red and rosé blends, and is now far outnumbered by its white sibling, Terret Blanc.
Key Characteristics
- Colour mutation of Terret, alongside Terret Blanc and Terret Gris
- Late budding and late ripening, so a warm site is needed to colour fully
- High-yielding, with big clusters of mid-sized berries
- Usually pruned short, though bush vines and vertical trellising both occur
- Planted area in France fell from about 400 ha in 2000 to roughly 140 to 190 ha by 2008 to 2010
Typical Flavors
Major Regions
Languedoc (Hérault) · Minervois · Corbières · Châteauneuf-du-Pape · Côtes du Rhône · Provence (Cassis)
Also Known As
Terret Bourret · Bourret · Tarret · Terret du Pays
Overview
Terret Noir is one of three colour forms of a single ancient Languedoc vine, the others being the pale-skinned Terret Gris and the green-skinned Terret Blanc. As a red grape it has never carried much weight on its own. Its value to growers was yield, freshness and restrained sugar levels in a climate where many varieties overripen, and for that reason it long served as a supporting grape in blends dominated by Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault. In the glass it tends to be pale, light-bodied and lively, with red-fruit and herbal tones rather than depth or tannic grip. Varietal bottlings are rare, and most plantings are folded into larger blends or sold as a minor component under appellation rules that merely permit it. Its modern significance is largely historical and genetic: it is one of the heritage varieties permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, though only a tiny area is actually planted there.
Origins & History
Terret is regarded as one of the oldest varieties of the Languedoc, and the Hérault département is its most probable birthplace. The three colours are mutations of one vine rather than separate crossings, so there is no distinct parentage for Terret Noir itself, and DNA work has not tied the family to a known parent pair. Ampelographers place Terret in the Picpoul group, a cluster of related old southern French varieties that share leaf and bunch characteristics. Early written mentions are hard to pin to this vine. Names resembling Terret appear in documents from Carcassonne in the early 1600s (a possible reference in 1619), and the forms terren (1639) and tarret (1676) are recorded later, but whether they describe the same plant is uncertain. The first reliable record dates from 1736 in the Languedoc, where a source notes that Terret Noir was highly productive. Through the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century Terret, above all the grey form, was among the most widely planted grapes of southern France, used for table wine, vermouth bases and distillation. The shift toward quality-driven varieties after the 1970s, together with vine-pull schemes, cut its area sharply. Terret Noir had around 1,150 ha in France in 1979, about 400 ha in 2000, and between roughly 140 and 270 ha in estimates from 2008 to 2016, depending on the source.
Viticultural Characteristics
Terret Noir buds late, which gives it some protection against spring frost, and it also ripens late, a little over a week behind Syrah and closer to the timing of Grenache. Growers report that it can struggle to build full colour in cooler years. The vine is vigorous and productive; its clusters are big and carry berries of medium size. It is generally pruned short; bush training suits it, though it can also be trained upright on wires. Disease susceptibility is reported inconsistently: some sources list sensitivity to powdery and downy mildew and to grape moths, while technical sources describe it as only moderately affected unless conditions are very favourable. Trunk diseases are a recognised concern. It adapts well to dry, warm, low-fertility sites typical of the Mediterranean south.
Wine Styles & Characteristics
Terret Noir makes light, pale red wines with high-toned red fruit, floral and herbal notes and bright acidity. Alcohol is typically moderate, and tannin is low, so it does not provide structure in the way Syrah or Mourvèdre do. Its role is to lift and freshen a blend, particularly in warm vintages where acidity can fall away. A rosé is a natural use for it, and a few producers have bottled it as a straight varietal or as part of field blends containing all three Terret colours, though the red form is much the rarest of the group. Because there is no oak tradition and little concentration, wines are usually made for early drinking and are not generally regarded as ageworthy. Quality differences depend mainly on yield control and picking date, since overcropped fruit turns thin and dilute.