Tourbat

Its presence in Roussillon seems to trace to that area's time under the Kingdom of Majorca with James I of Aragon was lord of over a wide expanse of land that crosses the modern-day borders of southern France and northern eastern Spain.

Even there the grape was on the verge of extinction until one producer, Sella & Mosca, began focusing on the variety and propagating healthier cuttings.

[3] Their work also lead to a slight resurgence of interest in the Roussillon region in the 1980s when the new cuttings of healthier vines were imported from Sardinia.

[4] In Sardinia, Tourbat is known as Torbato and is grown around Alghero in the province of Sassari on the northwestern reaches of the island.

[2] Tourbat tends to produce full-bodied wines with distinctive aromas that often include smokey notes.