Trousseau

Also known as

Bastardo, Maturana Tinta, Trousseau Noir

Trousseau Noir is a black-skinned red grape of the Vitis vinifera species. It comes from the Jura region of eastern France. DNA analysis shows it descends from Savagnin Blanc, with the other parent unknown, and that it is a sibling of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. It has been grown on the Iberian Peninsula for at least two centuries under names such as Bastardo and Merenzao.

Today it is most widely planted in Portugal, where it is called Bastardo and appears in Port and other Portuguese wines, and in Spain as Merenzao or Maturana Tinta. Its French home remains the Jura, where it is one of the permitted appellation grapes but covers only a small share of vineyards because it needs more sun to ripen. Small plots also grow in California, Australia and Argentina.

In the glass it tends toward bright, tart red fruit such as cherry and raspberry, with high acidity and often a savoury, earthy note. Styles range from pale and lightly tannic Jura reds to deeper-coloured, more structured wines, and it is often blended to add backbone.