Attack of the Clones
Ahh, yes, another catchy title for a blog entry. I’m sure about 38 other wine bloggers used this title already, but I don’t care.
This afternoon, I read Chapter 5 in Haeger’s book on Pinot Noir. I have been intrigued by the meaning of the different vine clone names and designations, and that chapter helped clear things up a little. Not too much, though. I still need to try a bunch of Pinot Noir made from the various clones.
For example, I expect to try some of my Ketelsen Tudor House Reserve tonight, and as Josh from Pinotblogger tells me, that wine was made from Dijon clones 777 and 667. I guess I’ll really know what this means, with regard to the flavor of the resulting wine, soon enough.
Then again, as Chapter 5 explains, the vineyard location, the terroir, the winemaker, the final blend, and about 10,000 other factors probably affect the flavor of the resulting wine more than the clones selected for the fruit-bearing vines. That’s one reason I like Domaine Serene wines, though: They discuss the relative percentages of clones that comprise their Pinot Noirs. I prefer Domaine Drouhin’s wines, though….
Anyway, I look forward to trying lots of different clones of Pinot Noir. I’m curious, though, how one goes about tasting 100% bottlings of each clone, or smelling the aromas of wines made from 100% clonal varieties. Any advice, let me know.
Finally, I like the discussion of clones from a genetic perspective. Most people I know don’t realize this about me, but I began my college career in genetics. I studied genetics the summer before at a small private university back east, and I eventually took first place in a state science competition later that school year. Ultimately, I decided I didn’t want to sit in a lab all day. If only I had thought about sitting in a vineyard all day instead…perhaps I would have stuck with it a bit longer.