Pontac

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)