Clone Selection

A grapevine clone is a population of vines propagated vegetatively from a single mother vine, all sharing identical genetic material. According to the OIV definition, a clone is the vegetative progeny conforming to a strain chosen for its indisputable identity, phenotypic characteristics, and health status. Clones arise from natural somatic mutations that accumulate in individual vines over many generations of vegetative propagation, producing measurable differences in berry size, cluster weight, vigor, ripening time, color intensity, and aromatic potential. Because grapevines are reproduced from cuttings rather than seeds, these naturally occurring variants can be isolated, evaluated, and perpetuated indefinitely.

• Clones arise from spontaneous somatic mutations that occur naturally during plant growth, sometimes appearing as bud sports visible on a single shoot
• Vegetative propagation via cuttings, grafting, or layering reproduces the genetic identity of the mother vine across subsequent generations
• Clonal selection practice began in Germany in the 19th century and was fully established by the 1920s; France formalized national certification programs from the 1960s onward
• Certified clones undergo multi-year sanitary testing and agronomic evaluation before receiving an official registration number from national authorities

The Dijon clones represent a family of officially certified Pinot Noir selections developed at the University of Dijon in Burgundy and distributed globally under the ENTAV-INRA trademark. The first cuttings arrived in the United States in 1987 to 1988, received by Oregon State University, whose technicians nicknamed them 'Dijon clones' after the return address on the shipping container. Prior to their arrival, Oregon and California producers relied primarily on heritage clones of uncertain provenance, most notably the Pommard selection originally imported by UC Davis in 1951 from the Burgundy village of the same name, and the Wadenswil clone imported from Switzerland in 1952. The arrival of the certified French selections transformed Willamette Valley Pinot Noir quality and sparked a global reconsideration of clonal strategy.

• Clone 113: small to average clusters, small berries, noted for aromatic intensity; originates from Morey-Saint-Denis
• Clone 667: from Chambolle-Musigny, known for aromatic and tannic finesse, red-fruit energy, and earlier ripening than Clone 777
• Clone 777: from Gevrey-Chambertin, produces small compact clusters with intense color, pronounced tannins, and spice; an early-ripening clone well suited to blending
• Clone 115: valued for balance, aromatic complexity, and structural contribution; one of the most widely planted and the most common choice for single-clone bottlings

Cabernet Sauvignon clonal diversity in Napa Valley is among the broadest of any wine region in the world. The Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis counts more than 60 distinct Cabernet clones, including heritage California selections and French ENTAV-certified clones. The California workhorses for decades were Clones 7 and 8, both taken from the Concannon Vineyard in Livermore in 1965, prized for reliable yields and black fruit character. Clone 6, sourced from 19th-century Bordeaux imports, delivers more pronounced herbal typicity at lower yields. French Clone 337, one of the most widely adopted ENTAV selections globally, produces smallish berries, deep color, and lush, fruit-forward wines that have proven popular with the California market. Clone 169, another French selection, offers good vigor and a balanced acid-to-sugar ratio.

• UC Davis Clone 7 (also called the Concannon or Wente clone) has been the dominant workhorse clone in California since the 1960s and 1970s
• Clone 6, the Jackson clone, originates from 19th-century Bordeaux imports; it produces lower yields and more herbal, classically structured wines
• French Clone 337 is known for small berries, deep color, and fruit-forward style; described as reliable, giving reasonable yields with lush mouthfeel
• Clone 169, a French ENTAV selection, gained popularity in California from 2003 onward, planted especially on mountain sites such as Mount Veeder

Clone selection influences yield, harvest timing, berry morphology, phenolic ripeness, color intensity, aromatic profile, and ultimately wine style, often as significantly as site or winemaking decisions. Dijon 777 consistently delivers wines with structure and weight, showing blackberry and black cherry with backing spice and excellent aging potential; Clone 667 adds red-fruit energy, cranberry, and aromatic lift with finer tannins. In Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 337 tends toward lush, concentrated dark fruit and supple tannins suited to late-picked, extracted styles, while Clone 6 expresses more traditional herbal austerity. Most producers blend multiple clones rather than rely on a single selection, with the most popular Pinot Noir combination being Clones 115, 667, and 777 used together to balance structure, aromatics, and power.

• Clone 777 Pinot Noir: small compact clusters, intense color, early ripening, spice and dark fruit; widely used as a blending backbone for weight and concentration
• Clone 667 Pinot Noir: aromatic finesse, cranberry and raspberry character, fine tannins, slightly earlier ripening than 777 for harvest flexibility
• Cabernet Clone 337: lush and fruit-forward, smallish berries, deep color; described as allowing late picking and high extraction
• Multi-clone plantings are the norm: blending clones within a variety creates complexity and provides insurance across varying vintage conditions

Producers face a fundamental choice between certified clonal selection and massal selection when planting or replanting vineyards. Certified clones provide uniformity in ripening time, berry size, and flavor profile, simplifying vineyard management and delivering predictable yields with guaranteed virus-free plant material. Massal selection involves propagating cuttings from the best performing vines within an established vineyard, preserving greater genetic diversity at the cost of less uniformity. Critics of mono-clonal viticulture note that planting blocks of genetically identical vines can reduce resilience to disease and environmental stress; proponents of massal selection argue it produces more complex, site-specific wines. Many leading producers now pursue both approaches, planting certified clones for new blocks while maintaining massal selections from old vineyards.

• Certified clones: uniform ripening, virus-free material, predictable yields, and documented genetic identity traced to a known mother vine
• Massal selection: greater genetic diversity and potential for complexity, but higher disease risk if parent vines carry latent viruses
• Single-clone blocks can leave vineyards vulnerable to disease or environmental change if the chosen clone carries susceptibilities
• Climate change is increasing producer interest in diverse multi-clone and massal-selection plantings as a hedge against vintage variability

Clone choice and terroir interact in complex ways that resist simple generalizations. A clone suited to a cool site may overproduce or fail to achieve phenolic ripeness on a warm one; the same clone planted on volcanic Jory soils in Oregon expresses differently than on sedimentary soils a short distance away. The Pommard selection, one of the oldest heritage clones in Oregon, has been central to the state's Pinot Noir identity precisely because its behavior aligns well with Willamette Valley conditions. Meanwhile, Clone 777, selected from Gevrey-Chambertin, has proven adaptable across California, Oregon, and New Zealand, demonstrating that certified clones, while originating from specific Burgundian sites, can express new terroir character when matched to appropriate conditions. Replanting decisions are generational commitments, typically locking a producer into 30 to 40 years with a given clone.

• Clone 777 was selected from Gevrey-Chambertin but is now widely planted in Oregon's Willamette Valley, New Zealand's Central Otago, and California's Santa Lucia Highlands
• The Pommard clone, first imported to UC Davis in 1951, remains a cornerstone of Oregon Pinot Noir identity, producing structured, age-worthy wines suited to the Willamette Valley climate
• Soil type amplifies clonal character: volcanic Jory soils tend to highlight floral aromatics and elegance, while sedimentary soils emphasize darker fruit and structure in the same clone
• Multi-clone planting across a single vineyard spreads ripening dates, building natural insurance against vintage extremes while increasing complexity in the final blend