Iberian Grape Varieties

Shiraz

Marsanne

Origin - France

Production

Production       - high

Vigor                - average

Acid                 - good

Ripens             - end February -early March

Bunch              - average ot large

Berries             - small to average, rosy at full maturity, juicy

Susceptible to rot, oidium, drought and wind

Wine and production ability

Marsanne is in most cases associated with Roussanne. Vinified alone, the wine is lighter than the latter, lower in acid, with less bouquet and finesse, ageing unpredictable and disappointing. Its aromatic potential is however, higher than white Grenache but too low for a typical blend. Instead, it gives excellent sparkling wines, the best known is the Saint Péray. Part of the vine appellations Saint Péray, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cotes du Rhone, Corbières, Cassis, ... .

Aromas of dried apricot, acacia, beeswax, quince, spices, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts), fresh lychees, honey, white peach, apple cooked, liquorice

Marsanne in France

Marsanne is a classic grape varietal in the Rhone Valley, and is found both in Northern and Southern Rhone. It reaches its peak in the sublime wines of Hermitage, where it is often blended with Roussanne. It is one of the 8 white grapes permitted in the Cotes du Rhone appellation, and is a significant component (usually 30%) of the Coudoulet de Beaucastel white.

  

Flavors and Aromas

Marsanne tastes of melon (particularly honeydew) and honeysuckle. It also has a tendency for picking up the mineral flavors of its soils, and is therefore important to winemakers who wish to express the character of their terroir. It has a golden straw color.

Roussanne

Origin - France

Production

Production       -  5 - 7 t/ha

Vigor                - average

Acid                 - good

Ripens             - end February - early March

Bunch              -small,sylindrical, compact

Berries             - Spherical, small, white, almost gold rosy at full maturity, slightly juicy.

Prone to slight rot on fertile soils, oïdum susceptible

Wine and production ability

Roussanne is a noble grape capable of producing wines of very high quality, with a fine, yellow straw colour, and a bouquet reminiscent apricot, hawthorn, green coffee, honeysuckle, honey, discreet narcissus and iris. Wines have good balance en acidity and are suitable for aging.

Roussanne gives extra aroma en elegance to other white cultivars in blends.

Roussanne in France

Roussanne is one of the four white grape varietals permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and is the sole component of Château de Beaucastel’s excellent Vieille Vignes. Elsewhere in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, it is often blended with Grenache Blanc, whose richness and crisp acids highlight the pear and honey of the Roussanne.

Roussanne is also found in the northern Rhône valley, where it is blended with Marsanne in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint Joseph, and in the Savoie region, where it is known as Bergeron.

Roussanne in the Vineyard

Roussanne is a shy producer, and produces small grape clusters with small berries.

Flavors and Aromas

Wines made from Roussanne are fine and complex, with distinct honey, floral and apricot flavors. Unlike many white wines, Roussanne ages very well due to its acidity and strength. 

Macabeu

Synonym - Viura

Origin - Spain

Description:

Bunches very large, pyramidal, very ramified, often winged, loose;

berries spherical, average, gilded yellow, juicy

Production:

Budding rather late, a few days after Carignan. Very vigorous cultivar, upright growth habit, sensitive to wind. It is rather delicate, sensitive to oïdium, a little less to powdery mildew and not well adapted to wet and cold soils (grey rot) as well as very dry soils where it is sensitive to Esca.

Ripens late season.

Wine and production ability

Depending on terroir, Macabeu produce good, fruity wines with a yellow straw colour. Acid sometimes a bit low. Is also used for the production of sparkling wines.

Flavours of anise and honey.

In France it is cultivated in the following areas: Côtes de Roussillon, Banyuls, Maury en Rivesaltes. 

Vermentino

Origin - Italy

Description:

Bunches truncate, loose, Average to large with well developed bunch stem.

Berries average size, slightly  ellipsiodal, rosy at full ripeness.

Production

Budding early, good production and strong vigor, must be trellised because it is rather sensitive to the wind. Also sensitive for oïdium and slightly prone to Botrytis.

Vermentino performs well in warm areas with dry, less fertile soils.

Ripens late mid season

Wine and production potential

 Vermentino produce a wine with good quality, full with good balance and a beautiful pale colour, sometimes lacks acidity.

Wine is aromatic with interesting flavors like hawthorn, chamomile, pear en hazel nut

Vititec Newsletter May 2012

ENTAV – INRA ® Clones

After several years of negotiations with ENTAV (National Technical Establishment for Improvement of Viticulture) Vititec has managed to become the sole importer for the ENTAV – INRA ®  plant material to South Africa.  ENTAV is in charge of the management and coordinationation of the national clonal selection programme in France.  Evaluation of more than 3 000 clones are executed on a 80 ha site in the south of France.

The clones in the following table were released from quarantine in January 2008 and are being multiplied in a Foundation block. Small numbers of these clones are already planted by producers.

Cultivar	Clone	Fertility	Cluster Weight	Production	Wine	General
Chenin blanc	880	Average	Average	Average	Fragrant, soft and full	Improved Botrytis resistance
Cinsaut noir	92	Average	Average	Below aver.		Reduced vigor
Grenache	513	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Typical of cultivar
Marsanne	574	Average	Average	Average	Typical of cultivar
Mourvedre	450	Average	Average	Average	Typical, good balance	Reduced vigor
Rousssanne	468	Average	Average	Average	Typical of cultivar
Sauvignon blanc	905	Average	Average	Average
Sauvignon blanc	376	Average	Below aver.	Average	Good balance, typical
Semillon	173	Average	Average	Average
Shiraz	877	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Typical of cultivar
Shiraz	525	Above aver..	Average	Average	Good balance, structure	Smaller berries
Tempranillo	776	Average	Average	Average
Viognier	1042	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Best wine quality

ENTAV – INRA ®  2008 import

The clones listed below were imported in 2008 and released from quarantine in 2009.

Some of these clones will be planted in 2012 by producers.

Cultivar	Clone	Fertility	Cluster Weight	Production	Sugar	Wine	General
Cabernet Sauvignon	412	Below aver.	Below aver.	Below aver.	Above aver.	Good balance  and structure	Ripens earlier
Chardonnay	1066	Below aver.	Below aver.	Below aver.	Above aver.	Aromatic, good structure	Lower production, good Wine
Colombar	553	Above aver..	Average	Above aver.	Above aver.	Good quality, typical
Malbec	598	Average	Average	Average	Above aver.	Typical of cultivar
Crouchen blanc	1019			Average	Above aver.	Typical of cultivar
Grenache	1064	Below aver.	Below aver.	Below aver.	Above aver.	Good balance	Good tannin structure
Macabeu	1025	Average	Average	Average	Average	Typical of cultivar
Merlot	343	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Above aver.	Good aging potential
Vermentino	856	Above aver..	Average	Average	Average	Typical of cultivar

The above clones have “new” cultivars such as Macabeu, Vermentino, Roussanne and Marsanne of which information are attached.

  

ENTAV – INRA ®  2009 import

The clones in the following table were received in 2009 and released from quarantine in 2010. A summary of the clone properties are listed in the table below:

Cultivar	Clone	Fertility	Cluster Weight	Production	Sugar	Wine	General
Carignan	274	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Counoise	508	Average	Average	Average	Average
Petit Verdot	1058	Below aver.	Average	Below aver.	Average	Wine balanced, full good colour	Good wine quality
Petit Manseng	573	Bo-Average	Average	Above aver..	Average	Wine Typical of cultivar
Pinot noir	943	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Above aver.	Wine has good colour and concentration
Piquepoul blanc	463	Average	Average	Average	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Terret noir	1084	Average	Below aver.	Below aver.	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Ugni blanc	480	Average	Average	Average	Average

ENTAV – INRA ®  2010 import

The clones listed below were received from ENTAV in 2010. A summary of the clone properties are listed in the table below:

Cultivar	Clone	Fertility	Cluster Weight	Production	Sugar	Wine	General
Cabernet Franc	394	Below aver.	Average	Below aver.	Average	Wine with good colour and structure
Grenache	516	Average	Average	Average	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Lledoner pelut	1055	Average	Average	Average	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Mourvedre	1069	Below aver.	Below aver.	Below aver.	Above Aver.	Aromatic, good tannin structure
Pinot gris	943	Average	Below aver.	Average	Average	Good,balanced wine
Sauvignon gris	917	Average	Below aver.	Average	Above Aver.	Wine aromatic and full
Sémillon	910	Average	Below aver.	Average	Above Aver.	Wine typical of cultivar
Syrah	471	Average	Average	Average	Above Aver.	Good balance and tannin structure
Syrah	747	Average	Average	Above aver.	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Riesling	49	Average	Average	Above aver.	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Marselan	980	Average	Average.	Below aver.	Average	Wine with good colour and structure

ENTAV – INRA ®  2011 import

The clones listed below were received from ENTAV in 2011. A summary of the clone properties are listed in the table below:

Cultivar	Clone	Fertility	Cluster Weight	Production	Sugar	Wine	General
Chenin blanc	1018	Average	Average	Average	Above aver.	Good quality	Better Botrytis resistance
Grenache gris	148	Average	Average	Average	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Grenache N	1065	Below aver.	Below aver.	Average	Above aver.	Good balance and tannin structure	Smaller bunches
Lledoner pelut	1055	Average	Average	Average	Average	Wine typical of cultivar
Marsanne	1036	Below aver.	Average	Average	Above aver.	Wine aromatic and full