Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
unspecifi ed plants of Lampia and Michet, mov-
ing on into the early 1990s with the CVT 142
and 230 clones (Lampia biotype). Beginning
with the new century, CVT 71, 66 (Michet bio-
type), 180, and 185 (Lampia biotype) became
trendy. After these Nebbiolo clones were devel-
oped (in general, a rather civilized bunch),
many newer clones (certifi ed between 2001
and 2005) diverged sharply from pre-existing
clonal populations. The new clones were CVT
4, 63, 66, and 71, all derived from the Michet
biotype, and CVT 308, 415, and 423, all derived
from the Picotener biotype of Valle d'Aosta
(though CVT 308 was actually originally grown
in Piedmont's Carema area, so even though it's
a Picotener, it's not correct to qualify it as a Neb-
biolo
valdostano
).
The main differences between these and
previously available clones (all from the Lampia
biotype, save for CN 111, which had been devel-
oped from Nebbiolo Rosé) were much smaller
bunches, smaller and darker berries (“they've
tried turning Nebbiolo into a Pinot Noir look-
alike,” quips Domenico Clerico, one of the
area's best producers), lower yields, and theo-
retical (very theoretical, as we would discover)
higher enological potential for fi ne wine pro-
duction. A further note of merit (this one true)
was that these clones were virus-free (the
Michet had been subjected to thermotherapy
and the Picotener to meristematic therapy, two
methods by which to free grapevines of
viruses), thereby eliminating all presence of
GFLV in Nebbiolo Michet and grapevine leaf-
roll-associated virus (GLRaV) and grapevine
virus A (GVA) in the Nebbiolo from Valle
d'Aosta. However, while the Michet CVT 71
clone proved reliable and seriously wine-worthy
(so much so that it's what you'll most likely
encounter in today's Nebbiolo vineyards), this
was not the case with the Picotener clones, in
my humble view an absolute disaster. In short,
all Barolos or Barbarescos made with the latter
clones are very dark (though never black, they
are extremely dark ruby), but are all devoid (or
have very muted) Nebbiolo aromas: an amaz-
ingly huge shortcoming, considering the fact
that what makes Nebbiolo one of the world's
greatest grape varieties is its ability to produce
wines of mesmerizingly wonderful and unique
perfume.
About seven or eight years ago, I began sys-
tematically noting the absence of aromatic com-
plexity in wines made from Picotener clones.
After compiling enough tasting data, I mus-
tered up the courage to broach the subject with
some producers I knew to be honest and candid
enough to tell me what they really thought. I
will never forget the look on Aldo Vajra's face
when I raised the issue with him in 2007 or
2008. Looking like he wanted to be anywhere
else (or asking himself why I had been infl icted
on the human race), he set his jaw and straight-
forwardly replied that, yes, Picotener produced
very aromatically monolithic wines and that he
and many other producers were either uproot-
ing them or not planting them at all anymore.
There is no small measure of irony in the
knowledge that clone CN 111 (the Nebbiolo Rosé
clone), deemed a poor-quality clone back in the
last decade of the twentieth century, is one that
produces thinner wines, but with amazing
perfume.
Clearly, as with every other cultivar, massal
selections are very important with Nebbiolo.
Angelo Gaja, the world-famous Italian wine-
maker who has done so much for the image
and quality of Italian wines at home and abroad,
told me that “it was my grandfather, Angelo
Gaja (1876-1944) who began massal selections
in 1937, searching out those grapevines with
characteristics that are still valid today: lack of
vigor, loosely packed bunches, small berries.
We've never stopped, and at Gaja, all our vine-
yards are planted with 50 percent massal and
50 percent clonal selections.” Most producers in
the Langhe always plant their vineyards with
large percentages of grapevines issued from
massal selections—a good idea, because mono-
clonal vineyards, besides yielding potentially
boring wines, are also at greater risk of being
completely wiped out by a specifi c disease.
In general, Nebbiolo wines are only medium-
dark: in fact, it's a specifi c characteristic of
