Argant

It appears on a list of 14 varieties recommended for winemaking in the Jura in 1774, and plantings seem to have expanded over the next century, but were never very extensive and the story seems to have been one of decline since then.

One claim to fame is as a parent, with Pinot noir, of the Burgundian variety César, which inherits color and tannins from Argant.

Unfortunately it also inherited Argant's early bud break, which makes it susceptible to frost.

César (also known as 'Romain') takes its name from the tradition that it was brought to Burgundy by the Romans - since Pinot is native to eastern France it is more likely that if any grape was carried by the legions, it would have been Argant rather than its offspring.

The variety of synonyms point to Argant having been planted across a wide area of Western Europe, but little survives today.