Pinot Noir Clones at Akarua

Why they are important. What is a clone?

Most plants reproduce by the formation of flowers, which become pollinated and fertilised to produce seed. These seeds contain a mix of the genetic material contained in the parent/s and when they grow they will exhibit predetermined attributes some of which may be more, or less, desirable.

From these plants a few may be chosen based on their desirable characteristics and these may then be reproduced by vegetative propagation. This results in labelled clones with identical genetic codes. Another advantage of vegetative reproduction is that a large number of identical plants can be quickly and efficiently produced - to plant a vineyard, for example.

The different clones of Pinot Noir at Akarua are important because of their individual desirable characteristics. A brief description of each clone and their common characteristics are given below.

CLONE: UCD 5

ORIGIN: Burgundy, France. Selected and developed by University of California, Davis (UCD).
CHARACTERISTICS: A moderately vigorous vine producing medium to high yields of well structured bunches. A premium clone of consistent quality.
MANAGEMENT: Bunch thinning required to limit yields for premium quality wine production.
PLANTED: Clutha (1996-1998); Southview (1998)
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: This is one of the winemaker's preferred clones. It is one of the most complete clones with lovely aromatics, rich mouth feel and fine tannins. Historically this clone has been a strong component of the Akarua high-end premium blends.

CLONE: UCD 6

ORIGIN: Burgundy, France. Selected and developed by University of California, Davis (UCD)
CHARACTERISTICS: Similar to UCD 5 having been developed from the same source material.
MANAGEMENT: One of the higher producing clones, bunch thinning required.
PLANTED: Clutha (1996-1998); Kawarau (1996)
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: Another older clone planted in Central Otago. Tends to be fairly broad across the palate and at times lacks definition of flavour. Has rich fine tannins and can be used as a component in a blend, creating wines with broader mouth feel.

CLONE: UCD 13

ORIGIN: Burgundy, France. Selected and developed by University of California, Davis (UCD) at the same time as UCD5 and UCD6.
CHARACTERISTICS: A moderately vigorous vine that produces moderate to high yields of large, well structured and well set bunches. Berry size can vary between vintages.
MANAGEMENT: An ultra-premium clone for Akarua; requires bunch thinning to control yields.
PLANTED: Kawarau (1996)
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: A very interesting clone of pinot noir as it tends to have thicker skins and less juice. Has a lovely richness and shows a lot of dark fruit character and depth of flavour.

CLONE: UCD 10/5

ORIGIN: One of the early clones imported to New Zealand in the 1960's from Wadenswil Research Station, Switzerland by government viticulturist Frank Berrysmith.
CHARACTERISTICS: An upright growing clone that produces medium to large bunches with large shoulders (smaller secondary grape bunches that sprout out from the main bunch and often do not fully ripen) resulting in moderate to high yields. Consistent producer that may, both flower and ripen later, than the other clones.
MANAGEMENT: Canopy is easy to control, but requires attention for removal of later developing shoulders.
PLANTED: Clutha (1996-1997); Kawarau (1996); Southview (1998)
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: An older clone in Central Otago and one that can show greener herbal notes in a cooler vintage. It has a lovely dried herb/thyme note when fully ripened and can add another attractive layer of complexity to a blend.

CLONE: B115

ORIGIN: A "Dijon clone" from Cote d'Or developed in the early 1980's.
CHARACTERISTICS: Vines exhibit moderate vigour and consistently produce small-medium compact bunches with smaller bunch 'shoulders'. Crunchy skins.
MANAGEMENT: Moderate bunch thinning required.
PLANTED: Clutha (1998); Southview (1998); Riverview (1998 and block extension in 2000)
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: Shows lovely purity of fruit and spice. When fully ripe is like a "siren" with its haunting fruit profile.

CLONE: B777

ORIGIN: "Dijon clone".
CHARACTERISTICS: Vines exhibit low-moderate vigour and produce small-medium compact bunches of smaller dark berries. An aromatic clone and consistent producer of quality fruit.
MANAGEMENT: Moderate bunch thinning to limit the number of bunches to match individual shoot vigour.
PLANTED: Lakeview (2000)
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: One of the newer "Dijon" clones. Renowned for lifted floral aromatics and spice notes. Another of the winemaker's preferred clones due to the lovely lift it can add to a blend and shows incredible purity of fruit. The 777 from Akarua tends to also show a rose petal/Turkish delight character.

CLONE: B114

ORIGIN: "Dijon clone".
CHARACTERISTICS: Vines exhibit moderate vigour that produce smaller, compact bunches. Fruit set can be more variable with this clone producing lower than average yields in some vintages.
MANAGEMENT: Moderate bunch thinning in some vintages.
PLANTED: Cairnmuir Red
WINE CHARACTERISTICS: Bright fruit flavours and fine tannins. It tends to ripen early and is a clone with bright fruit characters without great complexity.