Irvine

News - Merlot Musings

01 November 2005

Clones and Groans

You have no doubt heard or read about the recent discussions and various points of view on the clones of Merlot currently available. Here at Irvine vineyards we currently have five clones in the ground, D3V14, D3V5, D3V7, Q45-14 and 8R. The last two are yet to come into bearing, but should hit the wire this growing season, so in about six years time we will have enough fruit to distinguish the difference.

Of these we find in our Springhill vineyard that D3V7 is quite remarkably different, different in so much that it shows all the lovely plummy varietal characters expected of Merlot at a much lower baume - around 12.5 to 13. In turn, the depth of plumminess and raspberry characters from this clone are quite outstanding and much deeper than any other we have ever tasted. 2006 will be the third season that we have had fruit, and I fully expect this V7 fruit to go into Grand Merlot, something which I never thought would be possible from five year old vines.

The V5 is very much like a V14, which has been our "work horse" for many, many years.

The current rave-on about D3V14 being a poor clone would appear to be so much rubbish in our own instance, so I guess it is a matter of site selection, climatic conditions and winemaker understanding that needs to be applied to V14 before it should be condemned. For once again in May this year our Grand Merlot has again achieved gold medal status in the International Wine Challenge, and this is V14, as was the World's Best Merlot in 1992, 1988 and runner-up so many times in international competitions. This is not to say we are smart at all, what it really means is that Merlot D3V14 seems to be very happy in Eden Valley.

To continually mix with the top 20 world's Merlots is a thrill indeed, but to have done it over so many years certainly shows, in my mind at least, that there can't be much wrong with that particular clone, but more likely it is just not understood in other places. So please take care when you see some derogatory remarks about this old work horse.

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