Couderc 1202

Origin History and Economic Significance

The rootstock grape variety Couderc 1202 (Mourvèdre × Rupestris No. 1202) was obtained in France by the renowned breeder Georges Couderc by crossing the European variety Mourvèdre (Vitis vinifera) with the wild American species Vitis rupestris. The variety was created as part of large-scale efforts to eliminate the consequences of the phylloxera crisis. The goal of hybridization was to combine the high lime tolerance inherited from the European parent with the phylloxera resistance of the American vine. Significant contributions to the study and popularization of this rootstock were also made by Prosper Gervais.

Couderc 1202 played an important role in the restoration of vineyards on calcareous (chalky) soils. It demonstrates excellent affinity and compatibility with many European scion varieties, ensuring high survival rates during bench grafting and high productivity of subsequent plantations. It is worth noting that, like many hybrids involving Rupestris, this rootstock tends to slightly flatten or reduce the quality conditions of the resulting wine.

Ampelographic Description of the Couderc 1202 Variety

• General vine characteristics: The vines possess exceptionally high growth vigor (very strong vegetative power) with a tendency toward slight bushiness and the formation of a very thick, powerful trunk. The bark is thick and colored dark grayish-brown.
• Shoots: Basal shoots are very long, thick, straight, or slightly sinuous, and cylindrical in shape. The internodes are of medium length, finely and regularly striated, and have a light tan-brown shade. A distinct pruinose bloom is present around the nodes. In the herbaceous (unripened) state, the shoots are wine-violet, covered with rather abundant downy (velvety) pubescence.
• Formed leaf: The leaves are quite large, round, and almost entire (with an almost equal length-to-width ratio). The upper lateral lobes are only slightly marked by distinct but shallow sinuses, while the terminal lobe ends in a long, wide tooth. The leaf blade is very thick and crumpled (wavy).
• Color and pubescence of the leaf: The upper side of the leaf blade is dark green and glossy, with traces of a matte wine shade at the very base of the main veins. The lower surface of the leaf is yellowish-green and completely smooth (without pubescence). The main veins are powerful.
• Sinuses and petiolar sinus: The petiolar sinus is deep, resembling an almost closed lyre shape. The teeth are large, arranged in two rows, well-defined, but shallow.
• Cluster and berry: The fruiting of the rootstock itself is weak, although many infolrescences are formed. The cluster is small, located on a short and thick peduncle. The pedicels (berry stems) are large and short. The berries in the cluster are loosely arranged, small, round, and colored a matte dark violet (black) with a pruinose bloom.

Features of Agricultural Technology of the Couderc 1202 Grape Rootstock

The Couderc 1202 variety stands out for its outstanding carbonate tolerance within its group, successfully tolerating from 30 to 38% of chalky (active) limestone in the soil without showing signs of chlorosis, surpassing Riparia-Berlandieri hybrids in this indicator. The cuttings possess a high capacity for rooting and easily establish in the nursery (shkolka) both during regular propagation and in combination with a scion.

The variety's resistance to root phylloxera is not absolute. In dry, hot climates and on poor, dense soils of southern regions, deep penetrating tuberosities may form on the rootstock roots due to pest bites, which in rare cases has led to the decline of vines. For this reason, the variety requires caution during implementation and guarantees reliable protection under cool, deep, and rich soil conditions, as well as in viticultural regions of the central and northern zones, where the destructiveness of phylloxera is less pronounced.