CHAP. VIII.
Of the plant of the Blacke Vine.
COncerning the naturall plant of the black Vine, it groweth euery where: the wilde doth yeeld a sharp and rough wine, such as that which grow∣eth of ground newly broken vp: but the Vine that is intended to be for Claret wine, is planted halfe of blacke and halfe of white Wine, and thereupon standeth in neede of another manner of dressing and seat than the com∣mon Vine doth: in like sort it is harder to order well, as requiring a verie great care to be taken about it, because the wine which commeth thereof is most pleasant to the eye, and of excellent taste, albeit that it doe not nourish so much.
The yong plants of the blacke Vine are the Morillion, the Samoyrea••, the Ne∣grier, and the Neraut: Besides which, for to make Claret Wine, it is accustomed to adde the yong white wine plant. And for the mingling of them afterward to make a Claret, it will in a manner suffice, if among three or foure plants or branches of the blacke there be one of the white.
The best of the blacke plants is the Morillion, the wood whereof being cut, sen∣deth forth a redder liquor than any of the other: and the best of this sort is the short one, being iointed, within the bredth of euerie three fingers at the most, and growing more or lesse thicke, according as the countrie is, bearing and nourishing it: it bea∣reth a well packt fruit, and hath a rounder leafe than any other of that sort.
The other Morillion hath a long wood, iointed with ioints at the end of euerie foure fingers at the least, it is thicker and fuller of pith within: and in cutting also it is pithie, and so more loose: the barke, except that on the outside, is verie redde, and the leafe three forked after the manner of a goose foote, and like vnto the leafe of the ••igge-tree. This second Morillion is otherwise called wilde Pinot: it beareth but few cleere grapes, and those also small, but the wine proueth strong, yea better than that of the ••irst Morillion.
The third Morillion called Beccane hath a blackewood, and the fruit is like vnto it: in the blossome it maketh a great shew of Wine, but when it commeth to ripenes, halfe the fruit, and sometimes more, falleth away. The branch is longest iointed of all the rest, and groweth more in length and height of wood than any of the other. This third kind of Morillion is called Le frane Merillon lampereau: it ripeneth before the other Vine plants, and yeeldeth good wine and as much as both the other.
The Samoyreau is likewise found to be of three sorts: the best of which branches is short iointed, and of a verie hard wood: the other draweth verie neere vnto it: The third sort is called indented Samoyreau, otherwise white Prunelat, and that because that his wood is whiter than the other: the wine it yeeldeth is of an vnpleasant taste, and it beareth but some yeares. It hath furthermore this fault, that when the fruit should come to be gathered, it is for the most part found fallen down and shed vpon the earth.
The Negrier, called redde Prunelat, hath a redde bark: the wood is long iointed, of a thicke and grosse pitch, a leafe verie much cut, and the grape great, cleere, verie redde and last ripe. Wherefore there needeth to plant but a few of these red plants, for the colouring of the other blacke, and fastning of them: it keepeth and defendeth itselfe from the frost, because it hath a high stocke.
The Neraut, called the blacke Bourguignon, hath the same nature with the white Bourguignon, a hard and a verie blacke vvood, a fast and small pith, ioints one vpon another, an indifferent leafe and altogether round, the foot thereof being verie redde,