Cabernet Sauvignon clones in France and California

I recently wrote about clones and the mechanisms utilized in France and California for their certification. In this post, I will examine the use of Cabernet Sauvignon clones in the selfsame areas.

According to Benjamin Lewin MW (Cradle of the Grape: The Origin and Spread of Cabernet Sauvignon, TONG Nº 20), the first Cabernet Sauvignon clone to be developed in France was Clone 15 in 1971. The French growers had been experiencing difficulty with Merlot so the authorities restricted all new plantings to Clone 15, largely due to its reliability. But that reliability brought along with it some attributes (high yields, large clusters, large berries) not associated with high quality wine. In addition, the clone increased the herbaceousness of Bordeaux wines throughout the 1970s, a condition only ameloriated by the development and introduction of new clones 10 years on (This narrative meshes with the first-generation objectives of the ENTAV cloning program: the production of high-yield clones in order to ensure a regular income for grape growers (Christophe Sereno, Cabernet Sauvignon Clones in France, TONG Nº 20)). This herbaceousness, driven by high yields, but aided and abetted by ripening difficulties in Bordeaux, became the measure of the typicity of Cabernet Sauvignon during this period (Lewin).

The Cabernet Sauvignon clones in use in France today are detailed in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Cabernet Sauvignon clones in France

Clone	Origin	Use Frequency (%)	Wine Style
15	AOP Bordeaux Supérieur	22	Fruity, aromatic, easy-to-drink
169	AOP Bordeaux Supérieur	27	Aromatic, good tannins, well-structured
170	Loire Valley	3	Aromatic, balanced
191	AOP St. Emilion	8	Good color, well-structured
337	AOP Côtes de Blaye	16	Good tannins, balanced
338	AOP St. Emilion	6	Aromatic, balanced
341	AOP St. Emilion	5	Good color, well-structured
412	Bordeaux	2 (along with clones 1124 and 1125)	Good color, aromatic, full-bodied, balanced
685	Southwest France	11	Fruity, aromatic, easy-to-drink
1124	Sanitation of clone 191	2 (along with clones 1124 and 1125)	Good color, well-structured
1125	Sanitary family of clone 337	2 (along with clones 1124 and 1125)	Aromatic, full-bodied, balanced

Source: Christophe Sereno: TONG #20; Clonal Selection of Cabernet Sauvignon in France, UCDavis Course, 5/15/2008

In the California case, by the late 1960s, most of the old Napa vineyards had been infected with Grape Fan Leaf virus which gradually killed the vine and affected wine quality negatively while doing so. The workhorse clone to that date had been clone 7 which, according to Bell (Anthony Bell, California Cabernet: The Search for the Best Clones, TONG Nº 20), is believed to hearken back to vines brought in from Chateau Margaux in the late 1800s. Foundation Plant Services worked diligently to free this clone of the virus, resulting in the first certified virus-free vines:

• Clone 7 -- heat-treated for 62 days; registered in 1970
• Clone 8 -- heat-treated for 168 days; registered in 1971
• Clone 11 -- heat-treated for 168 days; registered in 1974 

These three are referred to collectively as the Concannon clone. As in the French case, these early clones were characterized by :

• Large canopies
• High vigor
• Large yields
• Large clusters
• Increased mildew and rot incidence (due to the large canopies).

 Much subsequent work has been done in order to provide growers with clones with a broader array of characteristics. Table 2 lists Cabernet Sauvignon clones being utilized in California today while Table 3 enumerates the characteristics of selected members of the class.

Table 2: US Cabernet Sauvignon clones by source

Source	Clones	Comments
Concannon Vineyard	7, 8, 11	Referred to as the Concannon clone; most widely planted clones in California
N/A	02, 06, 22, 23, 24, 40, 42	6 originated from Berkeley Field Station
Heritage Collection	29 (Niebaum), 30 (Disney Silverado), 31 (Mondavi selection for Tokalon)
Argentina	04, 05
Chile	12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21
France — ENTAV	15 EV, 169, 170, 337, 338, 412, 685
France — Generic	33, 34, 35, 37, 43, 47
France — Donated by producer near Bordeaux	44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50
Italy	38, 39
Germany	10,

Source: Deborah Golino, Source of Cabernet Sauvignon Clones, UCDavis Course, 5/15/2008


Table 3. Selected characteristics of selected clones used in California

Clone	Characteristics
4	Moderate producer (4 - 5 tons per acre) Strong flavor intensity Good color, aroma, and balance Little herbal character Some spiciness
6	Known as Jackson clone Low producer (1 -2 tons per acre) Vines have no leaf roll virus Dark-colored wines with firm tannins and strong flavor profile Herbal
7	Also known as the Wente Clone Grafts well Strong producer (6 - 12 tons per acre) Wines have good fruit character, deep color, good acidity and structure Herbaceous in cool growing seasons
8	No significant difference between wines made with clones 7 and 8
11	Can deliver high yields of good quality
337	Brought to CA in a suitcase Popular in the re-plantings of the 1990s Moderate producer Small clusters Small berries Minimal herbal notes Rich, red berry fruit notes Dense, complex wines with bright fruit notes
31	Low producer Similar growth pattern to clone 6 Small clusters Small berries Dense, complex wines with dark fruit flavors, good acidity, and good structure

Source: Compiled from Anthony Bell

In comparing the use of, and attitude towards, clones, Lewin found that most of the French growers use clones but have very little interest in the topic. They see very little difference between the clones and very little value in spending a lot of time and effort on trials. Most of the new plantings in the Bordeaux region are based on 337, 169, 341, 191, and 15 with 337 being "closest to a cult" due to its small berries, deep color, and the perception of producing long-lived wines.

On the other hand, there is high level of interest in Cabernet Sauvignon clones in Napa Valley as growers seek clones that work well within the reality of their specific climate and soils. The fact that meaningful differences will result based on the clone used was demonstrated in a 10-year, 14-clone trial conducted at Beaulieu Vineyards in the 1980s (Bell). In California, Clone 6 will make a herbaceous Cabernet Sauvignon wine while Clone 337 will produce a wine with the lush fruits of the international style.

One of the questions raised by the use of Cabernet Sauvignon clones is the typicity of the wine. I will cover that topic in a future post.

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