Pontac
Synonyms
Dix fois
coloré — ‘coloured 10 times’, Teinturier mâle (France); Färbertraube, Tintewein
(Germany); Pontacq, Pontak (South Africa).
Origin and cultivation
background
Pontac is
one of the oldest cultivars in South Africa and was probably cultivated in Van
Riebeeck’s time, but definitely in the Van der Stel era. As early as 1772, the
Dutch ship De Hoop carried, along with other wines and brandies, a leaguer of
Pontac to the Netherlands, where it was sold at a price four times that of
Chenin blanc.
Prof.
Perold proved that Pontac is similar to Teinturier mâle. Documentary evidence
that the early Cape cultivars came from France (probably from western and
south-western France) posed the question whether South African Pontac might
have a connection to the famous Pontac family of Bordeaux, after whom the small area south of
Bordeaux is named. Until relatively recently, fortified sweet Pontac was quite
popular in South Africa, but it hardly exists any more. The cultivar is still
grown, however, with limited quantities found in all the regions, except for
the Orange River and Paarl areas.
Cultivation characteristics
Pontac
has moderate vigour and a semi-upright growth habit. Grows best on relatively
fertile soils in the warmer regions. The yield potential is medium to low
because of its small bunches. Despite the high fertility of the basal buds, cane
pruning and low trellising are often utilised in order to achieve satisfactory crops.
Susceptible to oidium but reasonably resistant to other diseases — a normal
spray programme should be followed, however. Under ideal conditions it produces
a rich, red juice with a very strong, characteristic bouquet that can be used
with great success to produce fortified, sweet Pontac wines. Good compatibility
with commercial rootstocks.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Yield potential
8 -10
tons per ha
Average sugar concentration
23—2 5°B
Average acid concentration
8—9 g/l
Clone characteristics :
The
available clones are characterised by good quality stable colour, and grass and
berry
flavours.
MORPHOLOGY :
Shoot tips
Felty,
white with violet-red colouration around the margins.
Leaves
Small, round,
five-lobed, dark green, markedly blistered, downy underneath. The petiole sinus
is lyre-shaped and closed to overlapping. .
The
apical and middle sinuses are reasonably deep and open. The teeth are short,
blunt and convex. The petiole is red. Leaves often display early autumn colours
(probably as a result of leaf roll infection).
Bunches
Small,
cylindrical to somewhat conical, usually fairly compact. The peduncle is short,
thick
and
tough.
Berries
Medium-sized,
practically round, dark black when fully ripe with moderate bloom. The skin
is thick
and tough. The pulp ¡s blood red with little juice when fully ripe. Coloured
juice. The
brush is
blood red.
PHENOLOGY
Bud burst
First
half of September.
Flowering
End of
October to first half of November.
Ripening
Mid-season,
first half of March.
(Grape Cultivars for wine Production in South Africa – PG Goussard)