686 JoiDiHiJ of Af/ririi/fiirf, Victoriff. [10 Nov., 1916. 



Vizetelly* describes it as 

 a bluish-black grape which combines a slight acidity with a delicate sweetness, 

 and yields a clear must charged but slightly with viscous matters. 



Sr. Cincinuato da Costaf describes it as one of the choicest varieties 

 in the Douro region — 



The grapp is black, but not deeply coloured. The crop is generally mediocre, 

 ■HTid the yield of juice likewise. . . . Althovigh not very profitable as regai'ds 

 yield, it is much appreciated owing to the excellent quahties of its wine. It 

 enters largely into the composition of the best of the generous wines of the 

 Douro. 



The following extracts are abridged from Sr. Duarte de Oliveira's' 

 article conceruing this vine in Amjjelographie : — 



In the ancient Douro vineyards, Donzellinho do Castello was grown in large 

 proportion, contributing considearbly to the quality of the wines of the Douro 

 region. It lost favour owing to the liability of its fruit to shrivel on dry sunny 

 situafions. Prior to phylloxera, it played a predominant part in several of the 

 leading port wine vineyards. 



It does well on all usual stocks, yielding heavy crops on A.R.G. 1 and 

 Kupestris du Lot. On the deep rich soils of Minho it thrives on Solonis, growing 

 wirii great vigour. It is here trained on high trellises, and even on trees, for the 

 production of green wines (light dry table wines). 



In the port wine region it is pruned short or medium. In cold, moist districts 

 its wood sometimes ripens in an unsatisfactory manner. On soils which suit it, 

 at is a good bearer, and very resistant to oidium, though it suffers somewhat 

 from mildew. 



It is one of the choice wine varieties of Douro and Traz os Montes, especially 

 of the latter, yielding a delicious wine, of light colour, with a suave perfume, and 

 of light body.* Cruslied with a variety containing more colour, a wine is obtained 

 a-emindlng of that of Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes become sweet before they 

 liave acquired the colour characteristic of complete ripeness, wliich takes place 

 between the first and second periods (Ptilliat). 



The following ampelographical description is given: — 



Vine. — Vigorous; main stem strong; erect grower, bark dark-brawn, much 

 fissured, detaching in short thin strips. 



Buds. — Large, swollen, short, but very prominent; young leaves white, very 

 •silky on both sides, pale-green above, and marked with carmine. 



Canes. — Long, straight, cylindrical, brittle; glaucous green, sometimes lightly 

 ■striped with vinous red whilst still herbaceous, of medium thickness; when ripened 

 they pass to a reddish-yellow chestnut colour ; internodes long (8 to 12 cm. — 3.1 to 

 4.7 inches), with a slight depression for half their length; knots swollen; t»ndrils 

 very numerous and strong, generally bifurcated. 



Leaves. — Large, broader than long, bulgy; faintly five-lobed, almost entire; 

 upper sinus not deep, the secondary ones do not exist, or are usually so slightly 

 marked that the leaf is three-lobed, petiolar sinus deep, distinct, in the form of 

 an inverted lyre ; substance very thick, dark-green above, sometimes with reddish 

 blotches; greenish-white and woolly below; veins well marked on both sides; 

 teeth shallow, irregular, mucronate. Leaf stalk strong, striated with red and 

 dotted with deep chocolate. 



Fruit. — Bunches numerous, medium or small, eylindro-eonical, well filled, some- 

 times slightly winged, frequently some of the tendrils bear little bunehlets of 

 four to eight berries; stalk medium, cylindrical, the upper part becoming woodv, 

 and tlie lower part i-emaining green; pedicels long, thin, with a vinous-coloured 

 swelling; core fairly long, red, wine-coloured, adhering to the berry. Betv'ies 

 medium, almost ovoid, often unequally angular through compression in the bunch, 

 bluish-black; pulp soft, juicy, sweet, and perfumed flavour; skin hard, with very 

 little colouring matter; stigma persistent on nearly every berry, hard, and thus 

 forming a sort of small point, of a dead leaf colour (when handled this point 

 ■can be easily felt; this is one of the Portuguese varieties in which this 

 ■character is inost marked) ; pips per 100 berries — 12 with one, 32 with two, 48 

 with three, 8 with four each. 



(To he continued.) 



* Faffs about. Port and Madeira, hy Henry Vizetelly. 

 t O Portuaal Vinicola. 



