Joseph ducos (more information)

Joseph Ducos was the first to understand the importance of grafting vines onto phylloxera resistant rootstock. At La Nerthe, he conducted intensive research on more than ten grape varieties to determine the gustatory role of each of them and to establish their ideal proportions in the blend. Grenache and Cinsault for "liqueur, warmth and a smooth, mellowness", Mourvèdre, Syrah, Muscardin and Vaccarèse for "structure, ageing potential, freshness and a thirst-quenching character", Counoise and Picpoul for , "personality, charm, freshness and bouquet", Clairette and Bourboulenc for "finesse, fire and brilliance".
All of these grape varieties, some of which (Cinsault, Roussanne and Camarèse) were brought to the region by Ducos, would be included in the list of varieties authorized by the decree of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée enacted nearly a half century later in 1935!
Joseph Ducos advocated vinifying these different grape varieties together and his methods have been imitated by more than one producer!
This mix of grape varieties accounts for the reputation and success of La Nerthe which Frédéric Mistral, the celebrated French poet and accomplished gourmet, declared majestically to be a "royal, imperial and pontifical" wine.