Ampelique

Category: Black grapes

  • LÉON MILLOT

    Understanding Léon Millot: Origin, Viticulture, Styles, and Tasting Profile

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    A hardy French red hybrid, valued for early ripening, winter resilience, and its ability to produce deeply coloured wines in cooler climates: Léon Millot is a dark-skinned interspecific grape from France, bred for resilience and reliability, long appreciated in marginal and cold-climate vineyard regions for its early maturity, strong colour, and its role in making robust red wines with freshness, depth, and a rustic but often surprisingly refined profile.

    Léon Millot belongs to the practical side of wine history. It was not created for prestige first. It was created to ripen, to survive, and to give colour and wine where classic grapes might hesitate. That endurance is part of its beauty.

    Origin & history

    Léon Millot is a French red hybrid grape. It was bred in France in the early twentieth century by the Alsatian breeder Eugène Kuhlmann.

    The variety is the result of a cross between 101-14 MGt and Goldriesling. This places it clearly within the family of French interspecific hybrids developed to combine practical vineyard resilience with useful wine quality.

    Léon Millot belongs to the same broader breeding world as grapes such as Maréchal Foch and Lucie Kuhlmann. These varieties were created in response to very real vineyard pressures, especially cold, disease, and the need for dependable ripening.

    In France, the variety is officially listed and recognized. Outside France, it became especially valued in cooler wine regions where traditional vinifera reds were harder to bring fully to maturity.

    Its historical importance lies in usefulness, adaptation, and the long story of post-phylloxera grape breeding.

    Ampelography: leaf & cluster

    Leaf

    Public descriptions of Léon Millot usually focus more on breeding history, cold hardiness, and wine profile than on one famous leaf marker. This is common with hybrid grapes whose identity is carried strongly by pedigree and performance.

    Its identity is therefore understood most clearly through its hybrid origin, its practical role in cool-climate viticulture, and the style of wine it produces.

    Cluster & berry

    Léon Millot is a red grape with dark berries. It is often described as having relatively small clusters and small berries, which contributes to its concentration and colour.

    The grape is associated with wines of deep red-violet colour. This is one of the traits that made it especially useful in cooler climates where strong pigmentation can be harder to achieve.

    Leaf ID notes

    • Status: French interspecific red hybrid.
    • Berry color: red / dark-skinned.
    • General aspect: early-ripening cold-climate hybrid with strong colour and practical resilience.
    • Style clue: dark fruit, earthy tones, freshness, and a sturdy but often elegant structure.
    • Identification note: closely tied to the Kuhlmann breeding family and related to Maréchal Foch.

    Viticulture notes

    Growth & training

    Léon Millot is generally described as early ripening. That is one of its key viticultural strengths. It allows growers in cooler climates to bring in red grapes with usable sugar and flavour before the season closes.

    The vine is usually considered reasonably vigorous, though the relatively small clusters mean that manual harvesting can be more time-consuming than with larger-berried varieties.

    This combination of early maturity and concentrated fruit is central to the grape’s appeal. It was created to make red wine viable in places where classic late-ripening grapes can struggle.

    Climate & site

    Best fit: cooler vineyard zones where early ripening and winter hardiness are especially valuable.

    Climate profile: Léon Millot is known for cold tolerance and suitability for marginal climates. This is one of the main reasons it found a role in regions such as Canada, the northern United States, and other cooler viticultural areas.

    Its usefulness becomes clearest where shorter growing seasons and winter cold create real limits for conventional red varieties.

    Diseases & pests

    Léon Millot is often described as having good resistance to fungal diseases, especially compared with more sensitive vinifera varieties. This practical resilience is one of the reasons it remained relevant in difficult growing regions.

    Wine styles & vinification

    Léon Millot produces deeply coloured red wines that can range from lighter, vivid styles to more structured and age-worthy examples depending on vinification.

    Common descriptions include purple and dark fruit, earthy or woodsy notes, and sometimes a hint of chocolate. In some styles, the wine can suggest a rustic Pinot Noir. In others, it can move toward a fuller and darker expression.

    Because the grape is relatively low in tannin and often high in malic acid, winemaking choices matter. Producers often use malolactic fermentation to soften the structure and bring the wine into balance.

    Its best wines feel vivid, dark-toned, and surprisingly expressive for a cold-climate hybrid.

    Terroir & microclimate

    Léon Millot expresses terroir in a very practical way. It is less about subtle old-world nuance and more about making meaningful red wine possible in cold and marginal conditions.

    That gives it a different kind of terroir value. It reflects not only soil and site, but also the limits and possibilities of climate.

    Its sense of place is therefore deeply tied to cool-climate adaptation.

    Historical spread & modern experiments

    Léon Millot has never been a mainstream prestige grape in France, but it has remained important in specialist viticulture and in cooler wine regions abroad. This wider spread reflects practical value rather than fashion.

    Its modern relevance has only increased as growers in colder and more challenging regions continue to look for grapes that can ripen reliably while still making serious wine.

    In that sense, Léon Millot remains part of the larger conversation about resilience, hybrid breeding, and the future of viticulture under difficult conditions.

    Tasting profile & food pairing

    Aromas: dark berry fruit, purple fruit, earthy or woodsy tones, and sometimes chocolate-like notes. Palate: deeply coloured, fresh, moderately structured, and often softened by malolactic fermentation.

    Food pairing: grilled sausages, roast pork, mushroom dishes, stews, and cool-weather country cooking. Léon Millot works best with food that suits its dark fruit and rustic depth.

    Where it grows

    • France
    • Alsace heritage context
    • Canada
    • Northern United States and other cool-climate specialist vineyards

    Quick facts for grape geeks

    FieldDetails
    ColorRed
    Pronunciationlay-ON mee-YOH
    Parentage / FamilyFrench interspecific hybrid; 101-14 MGt × Goldriesling
    Primary regionsFrance; also important in Canada and other cool-climate vineyard regions
    Ripening & climateEarly ripening and well suited to cool climates
    Vigor & yieldFair vigour; small bunches and berries
    Disease sensitivityGood resistance to fungal diseases compared with many vinifera reds
    Leaf ID notesCold-hardy hybrid grape known for deep colour and early maturity
    SynonymsKuhlmann 194-2, Millot
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  • LEMBERGER

    See Blaufränkisch

  • LAUROT

    Understanding Laurot: Origin, Viticulture, Styles, and Tasting Profile

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    A modern Czech red crossing, valued for deep colour, disease resistance, and its ability to produce ripe, structured wines in Central European conditions: Laurot is a dark-skinned grape from the Czech Republic, bred for resilience and wine quality, known for its strong pigmentation, good ripening capacity, and its role in producing full-flavoured red wines with dark fruit, soft spice, and a distinctly Central European character.

    Laurot feels like a grape designed for possibility. It carries the ambition of modern breeding, but also the practical realism of Central Europe. It ripens where red wine once struggled. And it does so with real colour and character.

    Origin & history

    Laurot is a Czech red grape. It was bred in the Czech Republic as part of the country’s modern effort to develop grapes suited to Central European vineyard conditions.

    The variety was created by crossing Merlan with Fratava. This already says a great deal about its identity. Laurot is not an old village grape. It is a purposeful modern breeding success.

    Its name was formed from the names of its parents. This gives the grape a clear genealogical identity and places it within the post-war tradition of Central European viticultural research and selection.

    Unlike many famous historic grapes, Laurot was not preserved through centuries of local continuity. It was created because growers needed a dark-skinned variety that could ripen well, resist disease more effectively, and still deliver appealing wine.

    Today, Laurot stands as one of the most notable modern red grapes of the Czech wine scene.

    Ampelography: leaf & cluster

    Leaf

    Descriptions of Laurot focus more on breeding origin. They also concentrate on vineyard performance and wine style. These aspects are emphasized more than on one widely recognized leaf marker. This is common with newer Central European crossings, whose identity is often carried more by pedigree and performance than by one famous ampelographic detail.

    Its identity is therefore understood most clearly through parentage, ripening ability, and the style of wine it produces.

    Cluster & berry

    Laurot is a red grape with dark berries. One of its key visual and oenological traits is the strong colour it gives to wine. This makes it particularly useful in cooler climates where red grapes can sometimes struggle to achieve depth and saturation.

    Its wines usually show a deep ruby to dark purple hue. That visual strength is one of the grape’s main signatures.

    Leaf ID notes

    • Status: modern Czech red crossing.
    • Berry color: red / dark-skinned.
    • General aspect: disease-resistant Central European variety with strong colour and structure.
    • Style clue: dark fruit, spice, ripe texture, and solid pigmentation.
    • Identification note: bred from Merlan × Fratava in the Czech Republic.

    Viticulture notes

    Growth & training

    Laurot was bred with practical vineyard performance in mind. It is generally described as a grape with good disease resistance and a useful ability to ripen in Central European conditions.

    That already defines its role. Laurot is a grape of adaptation. It was designed to make red wine more realistic and more reliable in places where classic late-ripening varieties can be more difficult.

    For growers, this means Laurot sits in an attractive middle ground. It offers modern breeding advantages without giving up on colour and flavour.

    Climate & site

    Best fit: the vineyard regions of the Czech Republic, especially those where growers want reliable red ripening without depending only on warmer vintages.

    Climate profile: Laurot is suited to Central European conditions, where cooler nights, a shorter season, and fungal pressure can all shape vineyard choices.

    This is one of the reasons the grape matters. It helps close the gap between cool-climate reality and the desire to make convincing red wine.

    Diseases & pests

    Laurot is usually described as having good resistance to fungal disease compared with more sensitive traditional vinifera varieties. That does not make it immune, but it does give it practical value in regions where disease pressure can shape vineyard success.

    Wine styles & vinification

    Laurot produces deeply coloured red wines with a ripe fruit profile and a fairly generous mouthfeel. The wines are usually fuller and darker than many older Central European reds.

    Typical notes include black cherry, dark berry fruit, and often a soft spicy or lightly chocolate-toned edge. The grape’s colour intensity is often one of the first things people notice.

    Depending on vinification, the wines can feel smooth and modern or slightly firmer and more structured. In either case, Laurot usually aims for ripeness and substance rather than delicacy.

    It is a grape that gives the Czech Republic a darker and more contemporary red-wine voice.

    Terroir & microclimate

    Laurot expresses terroir through suitability. It is not a grape that became important by accident. It matters because it matches the needs of a cooler, disease-aware, Central European wine landscape.

    That gives it a very modern kind of terroir meaning. It reflects not only soil and climate, but also the choices growers make in response to those conditions.

    Its sense of place is therefore practical as well as sensory.

    Historical spread & modern experiments

    Laurot is a modern grape, so its history is naturally shorter than that of old village varieties. Even so, it has already carved out a meaningful place in Czech viticulture.

    Its importance lies in showing that new crossings can still be serious wine grapes. Laurot is not only a technical solution. It is also a variety capable of giving expressive, attractive red wine.

    As growers continue to adapt to disease pressure and climate uncertainty, grapes like Laurot may become even more relevant.

    Tasting profile & food pairing

    Aromas: black cherry, dark berries, light spice, and sometimes a faint chocolate-like note. Palate: deeply coloured, ripe, structured, and fuller than many traditional Central European reds.

    Food pairing: roast duck, grilled pork, mushroom dishes, sausages, and hearty Central European cuisine. Laurot works best with food that suits its dark fruit and moderate structure.

    Where it grows

    • Czech Republic
    • Moravia
    • Other Central European trial and specialist plantings

    Quick facts for grape geeks

    FieldDetails
    ColorBlack skinned
    PronunciationLOW-rot
    Parentage / FamilyCzech crossing; Merlan × Fratava
    Primary regionsCzech Republic, especially Moravia
    Ripening & climateSuited to Central European conditions with reliable red ripening in cooler climates
    Vigor & yieldModern practical red crossing; generally valued more for balanced performance and colour than for extreme yield
    Disease sensitivityGood resistance to fungal disease compared with more sensitive traditional varieties
    Leaf ID notesModern Czech red grape known for strong colour, disease resistance, and dark-fruited wines
    SynonymsNot widely documented under multiple traditional synonyms in the main accessible sources
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  • LASINA

    Understanding Lasina: Origin, Viticulture, Styles, and Tasting Profile

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    A rare red grape from Croatia is known for elegance and bright acidity. It offers a lighter Dalmatian expression often compared to Pinot Noir: Lasina is a dark-skinned indigenous Croatian grape from Dalmatia. It is valued for its freshness, floral lift, and low to moderate alcohol. Lasina can produce graceful red wines with red fruit, fine tannin, and a distinctly local Mediterranean identity.

    Lasina feels like the quiet side of Dalmatia. It is not massive. It does not shout. It moves with freshness, perfume, and restraint. That is exactly why it stays in the mind.

    Origin & history

    Lasina is an indigenous Croatian red grape from Dalmatia. It is considered one of the native red varieties of the region and has long been part of the older vineyard culture of the Dalmatian coast and hinterland.

    Modern catalogue material lists its country of origin as Croatia. Like many old regional grapes, Lasina has circulated under a long list of local names and spellings. These include Lasin, Lasina Crna, Krapljenica, Kuč Mali, Kutlarica, and several others.

    Although it was once more common, Lasina became quite rare in modern times. Part of that decline seems to be linked to the fact that it is not the easiest grape in the vineyard. Even so, it survived because growers and a few producers recognized its unique character.

    Today, Lasina is increasingly seen as one of the most interesting rediscovered grapes of Croatia. It broadens the story of Dalmatian red wine beyond the more powerful and famous local names.

    Ampelography: leaf & cluster

    Leaf

    Public descriptions of Lasina focus more on regional identity, difficulty in the vineyard, and wine style than on one famous leaf marker. This is common with lesser-known local grapes that remained important in practice but less visible in broad international ampelographic literature.

    Its identity is therefore understood most clearly through origin, synonym history, and the style of wine it produces.

    Cluster & berry

    Lasina is a red grape with dark berries. In the glass, however, it usually gives a wine that is more medium ruby than deeply opaque. That already tells something important about the grape. It tends toward elegance rather than mass.

    Its general profile suggests a thinner-skinned and finer-textured red variety than many of the stronger southern grapes around it. That helps explain why Lasina is often described as one of Dalmatia’s more delicate red cultivars.

    Leaf ID notes

    • Status: rare indigenous Croatian red grape.
    • Berry color: red / dark-skinned.
    • General aspect: elegant Dalmatian variety with lighter body and lifted perfume.
    • Style clue: red fruit, floral lift, bright acidity, and fine tannin.
    • Identification note: strongly linked to Dalmatia and known under many local synonyms.

    Viticulture notes

    Growth & training

    Lasina is often described as a grape that is notoriously difficult to grow. That difficulty is one reason why plantings became so limited. In this sense, its modern rarity is tied as much to viticulture as to fashion.

    This challenge in the vineyard has also shaped the grape’s reputation. Lasina is sometimes compared to Pinot Noir, not because the wines are identical, but because the grape combines elegance with a certain fragility and demands careful work.

    Where growers manage it well, the reward is not quantity or power, but finesse, freshness, and a more delicate type of red wine.

    Climate & site

    Best fit: the traditional vineyard areas of Dalmatia, especially inland and coastal zones where warmth is balanced by enough airflow and cooler nights to preserve freshness.

    Climate profile: although Dalmatia is a warm Mediterranean region, Lasina appears to perform best where freshness is not lost. This is important because the grape’s charm depends on acidity and lift rather than on overripeness.

    That makes site selection especially important. Lasina is not a grape that benefits from being pushed too far toward density.

    Diseases & pests

    Detailed public disease summaries are limited in the main accessible sources. What is clear is that Lasina has a reputation for being difficult in the vineyard, which suggests that viticultural sensitivity is part of its broader identity.

    Wine styles & vinification

    Lasina produces light- to medium-bodied red wines with bright acidity, fine tannins, and a distinctly elegant profile. The grape is often described as one of Dalmatia’s most graceful red varieties.

    Typical flavour descriptions include red cherry, cranberry, raspberry, and often a gentle floral tone such as violet. Some wines also show a lightly herbal or spicy detail.

    Alcohol is often lower and the overall impression fresher than with many southern Croatian reds. This is one of the reasons Lasina stands apart. It offers a red wine of tension and fragrance rather than force.

    Its best examples feel delicate, vivid, and very drinkable.

    Terroir & microclimate

    Lasina expresses a cooler and more lifted side of Dalmatia. Its terroir voice is not about heat first. It is about freshness surviving within a Mediterranean landscape.

    That is what makes the grape so interesting. It shows that Dalmatia is not only a region of heavy sun-shaped reds, but also a place where elegance can emerge when site and grape are well matched.

    Lasina belongs to that more refined side of the story.

    Historical spread & modern experiments

    Lasina became rare enough that some recent accounts describe only very small plantings in Croatia. That rarity has made it a grape of rediscovery rather than of broad commercial familiarity.

    Modern producers interested in native Dalmatian grapes have helped bring Lasina back into view. This renewed attention matters because the grape offers something different from the heavier and better-known local reds.

    Today, Lasina is a compelling example. It shows how indigenous Croatian grapes can re-enter the conversation. They do this through elegance rather than sheer power.

    Tasting profile & food pairing

    Aromas: cherry, cranberry, raspberry, violet, and light herbal or spicy notes. Palate: light to medium-bodied, fresh, finely tannic, and driven by lively acidity.

    Food pairing: roast chicken, grilled tuna, cured meats, mushroom dishes, and lighter Mediterranean cuisine. Lasina works best with food that suits finesse and brightness rather than weight.

    Where it grows

    • Croatia
    • Dalmatia
    • Šibenik-Knin area and broader central-northern Dalmatia
    • Small revival-focused plantings

    Quick facts for grape geeks

    FieldDetails
    ColorRed
    PronunciationLAH-see-nah
    Parentage / FamilyCroatian Vitis vinifera; indigenous Dalmatian variety, exact parentage not firmly established in the main accessible public sources
    Primary regionsCroatia, especially Dalmatia
    Ripening & climateSuited to warm Dalmatian conditions while preserving freshness; exact cycle details are not uniformly stated in the main public summaries
    Vigor & yieldKnown more for vineyard difficulty and rarity than for high-yielding reliability
    Disease sensitivityLimited public technical data; widely described as difficult to grow
    Leaf ID notesElegant indigenous Croatian red grape known for bright acidity, floral lift, and many local synonyms
    SynonymsBej Karassa, Chkiiva, Dlarinka, Krapljenica, Kuč, Kuč Lasina, Kuč Mali, Kutlarica, Lasin, Lasina Crna, Pazanin, Rija, Sljiva, Vlasina, and others
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  • LAPA KARA

    Understanding Lapa Kara: Origin, Viticulture, Styles, and Tasting Profile

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    A rare red grape from Ukraine, linked to Crimea and known for late ripening, aromatic depth, and its role in traditional regional wines: Lapa Kara is a dark-skinned Ukrainian grape. Its name means “black hand.” This grape is valued in the historic vineyards of Crimea for producing full-bodied, aromatic red wines. It holds a place in the local grape heritage of the Sudak and Solnechnaya Dolina area.

    Lapa Kara feels like a grape of place and memory. It belongs to the old vineyard culture of Crimea, where local varieties carried names, stories, and identities that never needed international fame to matter.

    Origin & history

    Lapa Kara is an indigenous Ukrainian red grape. It is associated above all with the historic vineyard landscapes of Crimea, especially the Sudak area and Solnechnaya Dolina, also known as Sun Valley.

    The name Lapa Kara is usually translated as “black hand”. Like many old local grape names from Crimea, it carries both a descriptive and cultural character. These names often feel rooted in older vineyard language rather than in the cleaner logic of modern catalogues.

    Its ancestry is not clearly documented in the main public references. That uncertainty is not unusual for rare regional grapes that survived more through local continuity than through formal scientific documentation.

    Lapa Kara is also noted as one of the traditional components in the famous regional dessert-style wine Chorny Doctor, a wine closely linked to the Solnechnaya Dolina tradition.

    Today, the grape is rare. Its importance lies in regional identity, historical continuity, and the preservation of Crimean vine heritage.

    Ampelography: leaf & cluster

    Leaf

    Detailed public ampelographic descriptions of Lapa Kara are limited in the most accessible modern sources. This is often the case with old local Crimean grapes, which were historically better known within regional wine culture than through widely circulated international field descriptions.

    Its identity is therefore most clearly understood through its origin, its name, and its place within the traditional grape mosaic of Crimea.

    Cluster & berry

    Lapa Kara is a red grape with dark berries used for wine production. Public summaries focus more on the style of wine and regional role of the grape than on precise bunch shape or berry size.

    Its reputation is tied more to aromatic depth and full-bodied wine than to one particularly famous visual vineyard marker.

    Leaf ID notes

    • Status: rare indigenous Ukrainian red grape.
    • Berry color: red / dark-skinned.
    • General aspect: historic Crimean variety with strong regional identity.
    • Style clue: aromatic, full-bodied red wines.
    • Identification note: closely linked to Sudak and Solnechnaya Dolina; the name means “black hand”.

    Viticulture notes

    Growth & training

    Lapa Kara is generally described as a late-ripening grape. That already tells something important about its viticultural personality. It needs a long enough season to reach maturity and seems well suited to its traditional southern Crimean home.

    As with many old local grapes, its continued role in the region suggests practical adaptation to local conditions, even if full modern technical detail is not widely published.

    Its significance appears to lie not in extreme productivity or easy international adaptability, but in a close fit with place and style.

    Climate & site

    Best fit: the historic vineyard areas of Crimea, especially around Sudak and Solnechnaya Dolina.

    Climate profile: a warm southern setting with enough season length for a late-ripening grape to develop aromatic and structural depth.

    This helps explain why the variety remained linked to a very specific regional landscape rather than becoming widely transplanted.

    Diseases & pests

    Detailed public disease summaries for Lapa Kara are limited in the main accessible sources. Most available references emphasize origin, rarity, ripening pattern, and wine style rather than technical disease sensitivity.

    Wine styles & vinification

    Lapa Kara is described as producing aromatic, full-bodied red wines. That makes it one of the more characterful old Crimean grapes in the public descriptions that do exist.

    The grape is also associated with the traditional regional wine Chorny Doctor, where it contributes to a local style shaped by indigenous varieties rather than by international grapes.

    This dual identity is important. Lapa Kara can be understood both as a varietal heritage grape and as part of a broader traditional blend culture.

    Its strength lies in depth, aroma, and regional character.

    Terroir & microclimate

    Lapa Kara expresses terroir through its very narrow regional belonging. It is not a globe-trotting grape. It belongs to one of the oldest and most distinctive vineyard landscapes of the northern Black Sea world.

    That gives it a strong sense of place. Its terroir is not abstract. It is tied to Crimean tradition, southern exposure, and local wine memory.

    This is part of what makes the grape so compelling.

    Historical spread & modern experiments

    Lapa Kara has never been a widely planted international grape. Even the main reference summaries describe it as cultivated only in small quantities.

    That rarity increases its significance. The grape now matters less as a commercial workhorse. It plays a more important role as a marker of local vine diversity and historical continuity.

    Its modern importance lies in preservation, documentation, and the continued recognition of indigenous Ukrainian grape heritage.

    Tasting profile & food pairing

    Aromas: aromatic dark-fruited notes and a fuller regional profile rather than a light or delicate style. Palate: full-bodied, expressive, and grounded in traditional red-wine structure.

    Food pairing: roast lamb, grilled meats, stews, cured meats, and richer regional dishes. Lapa Kara suits food that can carry a fuller and more aromatic red wine.

    Where it grows

    • Ukraine
    • Crimea
    • Sudak region
    • Solnechnaya Dolina / Sun Valley
    • Small traditional plantings

    Quick facts for grape geeks

    FieldDetails
    ColorRed
    PronunciationLAH-pah KAH-rah
    Parentage / FamilyUkrainian Vitis vinifera; parentage not clearly documented in accessible sources
    Primary regionsUkraine, especially Crimea, Sudak, and Solnechnaya Dolina
    Ripening & climateLate ripening; suited to the warm southern Crimean vineyard zone
    Vigor & yieldLimited public technical data
    Disease sensitivityLimited public technical data
    Leaf ID notesRare Crimean red grape whose name means “black hand”
    SynonymsNot widely documented in the main accessible sources reviewed
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