UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. OS BULLETIN NO. 40. Clairette Blanche. The Clairette Blanche belongs altogether to Southern France, within the region of olive cul- ture; from below Valence on the Rhone, to the Mediterranean coast and along the same from Nice to the Spanish frontier. Within this re- gion it has been extensively cultivated from an- cient times to the present. It is used not only to impart delicacy and spirit to red wines, but also by itself produces the wine commercially known as Picardan, as well as others locally designated as "Clairette." It is used for both dry and sweet wines. For the latter it is al lowed to become overripe and shriveled on the vines. It is, besidep, highly esteemed as a table grape. It bears transportation well, being firm fleshed, crisp, sweet and agreeably flavored. The hardiness and vigorous growth of the Clairette are proverbial in Southern France. No variety is longer lived, giving good crops even when old, and has resisted longer than any southern variety the attacks of the phyl- loxera. It adapts itself readily to all soils, provided they are deep; on shallow, stony ground it is soon exhausted. On soils of the lat- ter character it should receive very short prun ing; on rich and deep soils, on the contrary, such treatment would tend to the development of suckers instead of fruit. The berry is rather small, of an olive shape, and from greenish to yellowish white, according to the degree of maturity. It ripens late (third period). From Folsom it is reported as being of vigor- ous growth and a heavy bearer. It was gath- ered September 23d, fully ripe. The grapes were received in excellent condition at the Uni- versity, and were crushed September 25th, showing at the time 21.1 per cent of sugar. The berries were somewhat smaller than in the figure given in the " Vignobles," but otherwise agreed fully with the description. The yield of must from 175.6 pounds crushed was 9.3 gallons, or at the rate of 100.05 gallons per ton, a remarkably low figure; pomace 20.5 per cent. Fermentation started on the even- ing of Sept. 2(ith, at a temperature of 05.3 F., and reached its maximum during the next evening at 73.4 degrees (that of the cellar being 09 degrees), and retained that temperature for about 4S hours, when it slowly fell to the cellar jternperature on Oct. 3d. The young wine was jracked from the lees on Oct. 17th. It had cleared remarkably well, and depoeited but very little sediment afterwards, so that the lecond racking was deferred until February 2th. The high qualities of the wire very soon ecame apparent, the development of its lively nd full bouquet being very rapid and striking. LNo detailed notes of the earliest tasting are on record. Dec. 7, Report of Vit. Convention Committee. — University sample No. 29, Clairette Blanche, from Folsom grapes, was among the wines most remarked. Its bi>>n qualities invite the propa- gation of the variety on a more than moderate scale. Feb. 9, 1885. (Pohndorff. ) -Clairette Blanche in 5-gallon keg has developed rapidly, though suffering Lomewhat from the effects of the thin keg staves. A sample in full bottle is in good preservation and bright, though not as far advanced in de- velopment as the keg sample. _ A remnant, kept in a loosely stoppered bottle since November, although suffering somewhat from access of air, has developed finely the fruity expression of the grape. March 17,1885. (F. W. H.)-Sample from keg is clear, almost bright; color, white. The bouquet is decided and very agreeable, the acidity moderate but adequate, the bodv me- dium heavy. For its age tne full vinosky of 1 the sample is remarkable. Roussanne. The P^oussanne is not a grape of wide distri- bution. It is most extensively cultivated in Savoy and more or less in the adjacent depart- ments of Isere and Drome; forming in the lat ter an essential ingredient of the noted vine- yards of the Hermitage, in the wines of which its product is mostly blended with that of the Marsanne. The Rousanne wines of Savoy have a peculiar perfume similar to that of » he Her- mitage wines; they keep indefinitely, improve greatly with age and acquire remarkable qual- ities. Near Chambery the wine, when bottled in March, is of a liqueur character, but becomes dry after several rackings from the cask — they are classed in the first rank. The Roussanne is of good vigor, and is usu- ally pruned short, yielding its best product under that treatment. It seems specially adapted to the steep and warm hillsides of the Rhone. The berry is of medium size, nearly globular, rather thick-skinned, at full maturity assuming a golden or even reddish-yellow tint. It is rather rirm neshed, but juicy and sweet, without special aroma; matures late in the sec- ond period. From Folsom the Roussanne is reported to be a fair bearer and of good vigor. It was gath- ered, fairly ripe, on September 16th, which places it among the earlier grapes of the second period, being markedly earlier than in its ori- ginal home. The grape was received in good condition on September 17th, and was crushed the next day, showing 22.58 per cent of sugar. The yield from 192.06 pounds was 13.79 gallons, or at the rate of 143 06 gallons per ton; pomace, 15.8 Der cent. The grape corresponded accurately to the Fiench description. Fermentation began early on Sept. 21st, the | cellar temperature being at 70 degrees, and I reached its maximum of 75.2 degrees on the following morning, remaining at this point about forty-eight hours and falling to the cellar temperature of 68 degrees on Sept. 30th. The wine was racked from the lees on Oct. 15th, again on Nov. 22d, and lastly on Feb. 27th, 1885. Record of tasting Nov. 15, '8/ f . (Pohndorff.)— Sample in 10 gallon keg. An excellent type of a mild tasting wine, but not apparently adapted for drinking unblended. Dec. 7th, Report of Vit. Convention Commit- tee— No. 193 and U. Nos. 14 Marsanne and U. 15 Roussanne are two excellent types of Her- mitage white wineg of fine bouquet and mellow frank taste, acids gratelul. These varieties are adapted for blending with certain red grapes for red wines, as well as for white wines direct; are to be recommended for adoption in our vineyards. Feb 9, 1885. (Pohndorff.)— Sample in 10-gal. keg, well developed, and the wine of excellent quality. Two other samples, in bottles, are similar to that in the keg. Sample in a small keg has suffered from the thinness of the staves. March 11th.— (E. W. H.)— The condition of the wine is clear, the color white or light topaz; the boquet faint as yet but very agreeable, with full vinous flavor; acid full, somewhat less than the Marsanne. Marsanne. The geographical distribution of the Mar- sanne is very nearly the same as that of the Roussanne, above given. Its wines fall con- siderably below those of the Roussanne in quality, but as the vine is very vigorous, and at the same time a heavy bearer, even under short pruning, it is in favor with the vintners of ohe region, and serves, as before remarked, as a blend for the Roussanne, and also, in small proportions, with the red wines from the Sirah and other varieties. The Marsanne bears large bunches, some- what straggling; its berries are rather small, with a thin and rather delicate skin, which re- mains of a greenish -white color where not much exposed to the sun, but assumes a fine golden hue under good exposure. Flesh soft, juicy, sweet and agreeable, without special aroma. Maturity in the third period. From Folsom the Marsanne is reported to be of good vigor and a fair bearer. The grapes were gathered, fairly ripe, on September 16th, being far ahead in maturity of the time as- signed to the variety in France. The grapes were received September 17th and worked on the ISth, showing 21.2 per cent of sugar; 93.12 pounds of grapes yielded 6.85 gallons of must, corresponding to 141.6 gallons per ton; percentage of pomace, 25.11. Fermentation began in the night of Septem- ber 20th, and reached the maximum of 82.4 on the morning of September 23d, then gradually fell to the cellar temperature on October 2d; showing a violent fermentation markedly different from that of the Roussanne, in which the maximum of temperature was 7 degrees lower, but lasted much longer. This difference is the more remarkable as the quantity of grapes was in the Marsanne only half of that used in the case of the Roussanne; and this case illustrates forcibly the need of knowing and taking into account the peculiarities of each grape in the fermentation of its must. It is evident that Roussanne must might be safely fermented in much larger packages than that of the Marsanne, without endangering the life of its yeast germs by too great a rise of temperature. In French practice both are usually fermented together, so that their peculiarities are balanced in their joint fermen- tation. The wine was racked from its lees on Oct. 28th, having been much slower in clearing than the Roussanne. It was again racked on Nov. 22d, and lastly on February 18th. Record of tasting. — There is no record of the first; tasting, in November, the condition of the wine being then hardly clear enough for a proper judgment. For Report of Committee of Vit. Convention see above, under Roussanne. Feb. 11, 188$. (Pohndorff.)— Marsanne in bottles since last racking has had a very satis- factory, even rapid, development; the wine is clear, and its quality very good. The Bame in kegs has suffered somewhat from the effect of the thin staves. March 11, 1885.— (E. W. H.)— The condition of the wine is not quite clear; the bouquet has developed decidedly, and the flavor is vinous and agreeable, the acid is adequate, and the wine as a whole is agreeable, though not equal in qualitv to that of the Roussanne. The subjoined analyses refer to the wines as last tasted, having been made in March, 1S85 : M UST. No. Variety. Date of Receiv- | ing Grapes. . j ' Solid Contents by Spindle.. . . Acid as Tartaric. 29 15 14 Clairette blanche.. . . Marsanne Sept. 25 Sept. 18 Sept. IS 21.34 22.60 21 MS .453 .420 .423 Wine. No. Variety. Alcohol by Weight 1 Alcohol by Vo!- Acid as Tartaric. 29 Clairette blanche 15 |Rous8anne 14 j Marsanne 1 . 850 L.366 1.880 m r,.io 10.540 9.200 i:*.ooo 13.000 1 1 4<>0 <•>,. .468 .563 It will be noted above that at the same date the Roussanne had about one and a quarter per cent more sugar than the Marsanne, and ex- ceeded to the same extent the Clairette, gathered a week later. The latter, however, slightly exceeds the others in the acid of the must. In the transformation into wine, the Clairette has lost some acid, while both the others have increased it somewhat, the Marsanne most, yet not to excess. In body the Roussanne appears singularly low, while both the others show about the usual body of dry white wines of the more southern class. In alcoholic strength the Marsanne falls singularly below the other two, notwithstanding that by the spindle indication its sugar was the Bame as that of the Clairette. Similar discrepancies have been heretofore noted, and may be connected with the peculiarly vio- lent fermentation of the Marsanne. Of the three wines, the Clairette is at this time unquestionably the farthest advanced to- ward acceptableness; and this rapid develop- ment will largely balance its low yield of must in the profits to be derived from its culture. Berkeley, May 5, 1885. E. W. Hilgard.