Muscat Précoce de Saumur is a white variety of grape of French

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 origin. It was first cultivated in 1842 by Auguste Courtiller (1795–1875), who created it by selecting seedling

Seedling

thumb|Monocot and dicot seedlingsA seedling is a young plant sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle , the hypocotyl , and the cotyledons...

s from a Pinot Noir Précoce

Pinot Noir Précoce

Pinot noir précoce or, as it is called in parts of Germany, Frühburgunder is a dark, blue-black, -skinned, variety of grape used for wine, and is a form or mutation of Pinot noir which differs essentially by ripening earlier than normal...

 vine with open pollination

Open pollination

Open pollination is pollination by insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms, and contrasts with cleistogamy, closed pollination, which is one of the many types of self pollination...

. Courtiller worked in the Jardin des Plantes of the city of Saumur

Saumur

Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...

. Muscat Précoce de Saumur shows very early ripening, which is indicated by the term "précoce

Précoce

Précoce is a French term meaning precocial but which when used in viticulture is a term for "early ripening". This term is used in the names of a number of more-or-less early ripening grape varieties....

" in its name. This property has made Muscat Précoce de Saumur popular to use as a crossing partner for many other grape varieties, including Huxelrebe

Huxelrebe

Huxelrebe is a white grape used for wine. Huxelrebe is primarily found in Germany, where the cultivated area covered in 2006, with a decreasing trend. It is primarily found in the German wine regions Rheinhessen, Palatinate and Nahe. Small plantations are also found in England.- Properties...

 and possibly including Muscat Ottonel

Muscat Ottonel

Muscat Ottonel or Muskat-Ottonel is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. It is most notable for its use in dessert wines from Austria, Croatia and Serbia as well as dry wines from Alsace and Hungary...

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Synonyms

Muscat Précoce de Saumur is also known under the following synonyms: Blanc Précoce Musqué de Courtiller, Courtiller Musqué, Courtiller Précoce, Courtillier Muskat, Early Saumur Frontignan, Kurtie, Kurtile Rannii, Madeleine Musqué de Courtillier, Mouskat Soumjur, Muscat de Courtiller, Muscat de Saumur, Muscat Précoce de Courtiller, Précoce Blanc Musqué de Courtiller, Précoce de Courtiller, Précoce de Courtillier, Précoce de Saumur, Précoce Musqué, Précoce Musqué de Courtiller, Prekos de Kurtile.