Patent Application
20090222961
Vitis vinifera L.
Catena Malbec ‘Clone 14’.
Once known as a variety of Bordeux, the Malbec grape is now being cultivated in South America, including Argentina. Malbec grapes produced delicious wines.
Historically, Argentine vintners did not engage in selecting clones. A less than rigorous attention to clonal selection meant that Malbec vineyards in Mendoza consisted of massal populations, a highly heterogeneous, haphazard mix of clones throughout the vineyard. There is a need for Malbec clones with improved quality. based characteristics such as low yield, plant balance, and fruit concentration.
The present invention relates to a newly selected and distinct clone of the Malbec grapevine, Vitis vinifera L., which will hereinafter be denominated as the Catena Malbec ‘Clone 14’. ‘Clone 14’ has medium cluster size and weight; compact cluster form; medium to small berry size and weight; medium to low vigor; extremely low level of millendrage (shot berries); very high level of polyphenol and tannin; medium aromatic intensity and mid-palate flavor depth.
The Malbec grapevine clone of the present invention originated from a very demanding clonal selection carried out in Mendoza, Argentina. The clonal selection process began in 1992 and was conducted solely by Bodegas Esmeralda S.A.
The process began with an identification of different clones of the Malbec grapevine. During three growing seasons, all plants from Lot 18 of Bodegas Esmeralda's Angelica Vineyard, located in the Lunlunta district of the Maipu region of Mendoza, were systematically observed.
The goal was to identify a wide base of genetic profiles. The first criteria were to select those Malbec vines which showed overall good health and good fruit set. The next criterion was diversity, identifying those plants with varying levels of vigor; different dates of budbreak and harvest; and varying sizes of clusters and berries. Malbec vines fitting these criteria were marked for further study.
This preliminary selection process resulted in the identification of 108 different Malbec clonal plants from Lot 18 of Bodegas Esmeralda's Angelica Vineyard, located in the Lunlunta district of the Maipu region of Mendoza. All of the clones were then subjected to the ELISA test to detect for Arabis mosaic virus, Grapevine fleck virus, Grapevine fanleaf virus, Grapevine leafroll associated virus Types 1, 2, 3, and Tomato ringspot virus. The clones were then multiplied from bi-nodal pruned budwood using micro-propagation techniques. This method ensured the overall good health of the multiplied plants.
A total of 51 to 55 plants from each clone successfully passed through the process of propagation and rustication, and having achieved the dimensions necessary to survive in the field, were planted in 1994 in Bodegas Esmeralda's La Piramide vineyard, located in the Agrelo district of the Lujan de Cuyo region of Mendoza. The Malbec grapevine clones were planted at a density of two meters between rows and 1.25 meters between plants and trained to a vertical shoot positioned trellis. They were pruned to a double Guyot system of loading canes with an average of 9 to 12 buds per cane.
The objective of the Malbec grapevine clonal selection was to identify those clones which possessed both vineyard performance and wine quality characteristics which were above the level achieved for the general population when working with massal selections of Malbec grapevines.
The vineyard performance criteria included overall grapevine development, shoot growth rate, plantation failures, dates of budbreak, veraison and harvest, compactness, size, number of clusters, size, number, and millendrage level of berries, susceptibility to mildew, as well as brix, pH, acidity and anthocyanin levels.
Given that the end goal of this selection process was to improve the overall quality of Malbec wine produced, certain elements of the above criteria were given more weight than others:
Color: Plants with overall high anthocyanin counts were given additional weight in the selection. Low anthocyanin count resulted in elimination from the selection.
Brix, Acidity and pH Levels: Proper development of these elements throughout the growing season as well as balance at the moment of harvest were important criteria for selection.
Berry Size: The selection process sought to identify Malbec grapevine clones with a high ratio of skin to juice, generally seeking smaller berries.
Millendrage: Malbec grapevine clones were chosen for low levels of millendrage and shot berries, seeking even fruit set.
In 1997 fifteen clones were selected with optimal vineyard performance (low yields, small clusters, small berries, high polyphenols and low millendrage) and varying yet complimentary flavor profiles. The fifteen clones were vinified separately and characteristics (aroma, concentration, natural acidity, ripening time, typicity, astringency, flavor sensation) were compared.
In 1998 the five best clones were selected using the joint vineyard and wine criteria described above. These clones were sent to University of Adelaide for virus testing, with all results negative.
In 1999 the original 108 clonal selection was planted in Bodegas Esmeralda's Adrianna Vineyard, located at 5,000 feet above sea level in the Gualtallary district of the Tupungato region in Mendoza, Argentina.
In 2002 using the same selection process as originally implemented in Bodegas Esmeralda's La Piramide vineyard, clones 13 and 17 were selected as optimum for this vineyard site and planted in an experimental 3 hectare block.
In 2003 the five selected clones were planted in Bodegas Esmeralda's Nicasia vineyard, located at 3,870 feet above sea level in the Altamira district of the San Carlos region in Mendoza.
In 2007 the five clones selected by Bodegas Esmeralda passed a three year viral field study conducted by the Foundation Plant Services Department at the University of California Davis. They have recently been released from quarantine after having passed all pertinent viral tests and are currently being held at Herrick Vines in California.
Below is a detailed botanical description of Catena Malbec ‘Clone 14’:
Below are some comparative charts to demonstrate the differences found in the selected Malbec grapevine clones.
Table 1 shows how the Catena Malbec ‘Clone 14’ shows different physiological characteristics when compared to other Malbec grapevine clones selected by Bodegas Esmeralda as well as the overall massal population.
Malbec has a tendency for shot berries causing problems with homogeneity and cluster ripening. Homogeneity is a key factor for quality. See
In addition, Table 2 shows some of the physiological characteristics and individuality of the Catena Malbec ‘Clone 14’, when compared to other selected Malbec grapevine clones and the overall Malbec grapevine massal population.
The individuality of this Malbec grapevine clone was also measured in terms of its chemical profile when compared to other selected Malbec grapevine clones and the overall Malbec grapevine massal population. Total polyphenols are shown in
The Catena Malbec ‘Clone 14’ was also measured in terms of its aroma and flavor profile when compared to other selected Malbec grapevine clones and the overall Malbec grapevine massal population. The results are shown in
