red grape · near-extinct
Mourtaou
Bordeaux, France
Say it
moor·tah·oo
French carries no word-stress; final 'ou' rhymes with 'boo'; terminal syllable receives slight emphasis in English speech.
On the palate
cranberrypomegranatered plumblack pepperlicoricedried herbs
How you spot it blind: Peppery spice over bright red fruit with high acid and soft tannins
The story
First written down · 1871, Bordeaux, France
Reportedly widespread in pre-phylloxera Graves and Médoc, it was displaced after the 1855 Classification by 'noble' varieties; France recorded just 1.2 ha in 2018.
Family tree: PLANT DE PEDEBERNADE 4 × MOURAL
Where it lives
Bordeaux, France (Graves and Médoc, historical)
Shows up as
still red