Cygne blanc is a white Australian wine grape variety that is a seedling of

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

that was discovered in 1989 in Western Australia. Unlike Cabernet blanc, which was a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Resistenzpartner, and Shalistin which is a white-berried color mutation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cygne blanc is a

selfling The propagation of grapevines is an important consideration in commercial viticulture and winemaking. Grapevines, most of which belong to the '' Vitis vinifera'' family, produce one crop of fruit each growing season with a limited life span for i ...

that sprang from a seed of a Cabernet Sauvignon berry that fell on the ground and took root.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 160-161, 285-286, 1179 Allen Lane 2012 Indigenous to Australia, Cygne blanc has been touted as the "first truly Australian grape variety".Harpers Editorial team '
First wine from new white' Cabernet grape launched
'' Harpers Wine & Spirits Trade Review, February 14th, 2006Drinks Business Staff '
Flightless bird takes root
'' The Drinks Business, February 6th, 2006

History

Cygne blanc, from the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

term for ''white swan'', is named after the Swan Valley where it was discovered in 1989 growing in a garden in

Baskerville, Western Australia Baskerville is an outer northeastern rural suburb of Perth, Western Australia, in the Swan Valley (Western Australia), Swan Valley region, 31 km from Perth central business district, Perth's central business district via Midland, Western Aus ...

by Sally Mann, wife of winemaker Dorham Mann and daughter-in-law of Jack Mann, who noticed that the stray vine had leaves similar to Cabernet Sauvignon. The garden was planted next to one of the family's Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and likely arose from a chance dropping of Cabernet Sauvignon seeds, either from dropped clusters and berries that decomposed, leaving behind the seeds, or from the droppings of birds or other wildlife which previous consumed the seeds and berries of the vine. Unlike vine cuttings which are clones of the parent vines and color mutations which are mutated vines derived from cuttings, vines propagated from seedlings are distinct varieties with diverse genetics that can lead to the offspring having very different traits from the parent vine, even if the original seed was the result of self-pollination. In the case of Cygne blanc, the grape vine likely inherited its white berried trait from its grandparent,

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

, that crossed with

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...

to produce the red berried Cabernet Sauvignon. When it was discovered that the stray vine produced white berries, Dorham Mann decided to propagate the vine in secret and over the course of 8 years planted of the grape which he used to produce a white sparkling wine.

Wine regions

In 1999, Cygne blanc was officially added to the list of permitted Australian wine grape varieties. Today plantings of the grape can be found in Western Australia and in the South Australian wine region of the

Limestone Coast The Limestone Coast is a name used since the early twenty-first century for a South Australian government region located in the south east of South Australia which immediately adjoins the continental coastline and the Victorian border. The ...

around Mount Benson. The South Australian plantings are the results of an exclusive license given by the Manns to

Port Robe Estate A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

to grow the variety for commercial production until June 2014 when rights to the grapes became available to other growers. In 2006, the first vintage of Cygne blanc (from the 2005

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

) from Port Robe was released.

Styles

According to Master of Wine

Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...

, Cygne blanc produces white wines that have no overt characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon apart from a slight herbal, leafy character that can emerge in some examples of the grape. Other wine writers describe the grape as exhibiting some traits reminiscent of a white Hermitage from the Rhône Valley and of Sauvignon blanc from warm climate wine regions. Graham Cranswick-Smith of Port Robe Estates told Harpers Magazine that the grape produces wines that have a "Cabernet character" but with aroma notes similar to Semillon and flavors of Marsanne and Roussanne.

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties