Morenoa

Morenoa is a black grape from Spain (VIVC passport 3265), and the Wine Grapes pedigree sheet assigns it to the Basque Country. Wine Grapes (2012) draws it as an offspring of Cabernet Franc and an unknown partner, probably extinct, and notes that the inverse is possible: Morenoa could be the parent. The link is proposed, and its direction is open. With Hondarribi Beltza, this kinship is the basis on which José Vouillamoz, in a 2023 lecture, and a 2023 study of Cabernet Franc massal selection at Château Angélus place Cabernet Franc’s birthplace in the Basque Country.

Its names need care. VIVC lists Crouchen and Crouchen Negre among Morenoa’s synonyms, and the same catalog files Morenoa and Crouchen Negre among the names of Cabernet Franc; a 2016 survey of grapevine databases shows an accession labeled “Crouchen negre = Morenoa” under Cabernet Franc. The grape also draws interest in France: in a 2016 report on vines and climate change, Jérôme Gautier said the Saint-Mont vineyard was working on bringing in varieties such as Morenoa. The Gironde books record no vineyard of it.

Oldest record in my library: Agota Fodor, thesis on genomic selection in Vitis vinifera, 2013 (an accession named Morenoa)