Gros Verdot

[1][2] Today the grape is not widely cultivated with limited plantings in France, Chile and California where it is an acceptable component in Bordeaux-style Meritage blends.

The name Verdot stems from the French word vert meaning "green" and is thought to reference the acidic, unripe flavors that the grape can have if not given a long growing season to full ripen before harvest.

In the 19th century, Gros Verdot was a prominent grape in the Queyries vineyard planted outside the city of Bordeaux on land that is now part of the Jardin botanique de la Bastide.

While viticultural advances have improved Gros Verdot's grafting tolerance it still only takes well to certain types of Vitis rupestris stocks.

[5] Though there are some plantings of Gros Verdot in France, since its 1946 banning its numbers have dwindled to the point where the variety is nearly extinct in its homeland.

The Pyrénées-Atlantiques region where Gros Verdot is believed to have originated.
Despite having the name Gros Verdot, the grape actually produces berries smaller than Petit Verdot (pictured) .