Vitis vinifera Manseng noir, the sister of Tannat. Alternative variety for low alcohol wines produced in Uruguayan conditions

¹ Universidad de la República, Facultad de Química, Área Enología y Biotecnología de Fermentaciones, Montevideo, Uruguay
² Bodega Cerro Chapeu, Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo, Cerro Chapeu-Rivera, Uruguay
³ Universidad de la República, CENUR Noreste, PDU Espacio de Biología Vegetal del Noreste, Tacuarembó, Uruguay
⁴ Universidad de la República, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Biología, Sección Biomatemática, Montevideo, Uruguay
⁵ Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, I-37134 Verona, Italy
⁶ Universidad de la República, Facultad de Química, Laboratorio de Biotecnología de Aromas, Montevideo, Uruguay
⁷ Universidad de la República, Facultad de Medicina, CEINBIO, Montevideo, Uruguay

^* Corresponding author: fcarrau@fq.edu.uy

Resumen

Vitis vinifera Tannat was introduced in Uruguay in 1870 from the Basque Pyrenees, and within several grapevines it became the variety best adapted to our viticultural conditions. Recently, through genetic analysis it was demonstrated that Manseng Noir, in addition to originate from the same region of Tannat, is the only natural sister identified within 2500 Vitis varieties surveyed [1]. Given the small commercial vineyard of this variety in France, after several years we have managed to plant in 2019 the first vineyard outside the Pyrenees in Uruguay. In 2021 and 2022 harvests, its elaboration is achieved with the aim of comparing its wine with Tannat. Results obtained show that its agronomic phenotype, as well as aspects of sanity, acidity, and color intensity are similar to Tannat, but with the particularity that grapes are of moderate ripening, 12.5% of alc., total polyphenol index was 12% lower than the control Tannat at 14% of alcohol. Interestingly, Manseng Noir shows an early smoothness in its tannins that allow to achieve lower alcohol wines, still powerful color and structure but less astringency in the mouth. Its complete genome was sequenced by Illumina technology and comparative genome analysis with Tannat was carried on. Genetic, metabolomic and sensory analyzes comparison with Tannat are discussed in this work.