Pinot Noir Clones (Burgundy)

The Burgundy Pinot Noir clonal selection programme emerged from INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, founded 1946 as the French agricultural research authority) work at the Dijon research station from the 1960s onwards. INRA researcher Raymond Bernard, working at Dijon from 1955 to 2000, led the foundational Pinot Noir clonal selection effort with field surveys of Burgundian vineyards and laboratory propagation of selected vine material. Bernard and his collaborators identified vines in commercial vineyards that consistently produced superior fruit (small berries, low yields, intense flavour, virus-free vegetative health) and propagated cuttings for further evaluation under controlled conditions. The selection criteria were both viticultural (yield, disease resistance, vegetative health, ripening pattern) and oenological (sugar accumulation, acidity retention, aromatic profile, tannin structure, colour intensity). The first Dijon-numbered clones were released through the 1960s and 1970s: clone 113 (selected from a Côte de Beaune source), clone 114 (Côte de Beaune source), clone 115 (Côte de Nuits source). The 1980s and 1990s saw expansion of the registered clone catalogue with clones 667 and 777 (both selected from Côte de Beaune sources, regarded as among the most aromatic and intense Pinot Noir clones globally), clone 828 (later-generation selection from Vosne-Romanée source area, marketed as suited to cooler New World sites), and clone 943 (late-generation selection emphasising aromatic complexity). The Pommard estate provided foundational source material for selections that became the 'Pommard clone' (officially clone 105 in the registered catalogue, though Burgundian usage of 'Pommard clone' or 'Pommard selection' often encompasses a broader range of Pommard-area field selections). The ENTAV (Établissement National Technique pour l'Amélioration de la Viticulture, founded 1962) maintained the official certified-clone catalogue from its founding until 2008 reorganisation, when ENTAV was absorbed into the IFV (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin) which now maintains the catalogue. Each registered clone carries an ENTAV-INRA certification number that guarantees the propagated material is genetically identical to the original certified mother vine.

• INRA Dijon Pinot Noir clonal selection programme led by Raymond Bernard 1955-2000; field surveys of Burgundian vineyards + laboratory propagation under controlled conditions
• Selection criteria: viticultural (yield, disease resistance, vegetative health, ripening) + oenological (sugar accumulation, acidity retention, aromatic profile, tannin, colour)
• First Dijon-numbered clones 1960s-1970s: 113 (Côte de Beaune), 114 (Côte de Beaune), 115 (Côte de Nuits); 1980s-1990s expansion: 667, 777, 828, 943
• ENTAV (founded 1962) maintained certified-clone catalogue until 2008 reorganisation into IFV (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin); each registered clone carries ENTAV-INRA certification number

Each Dijon-numbered clone has an established viticultural and stylistic profile that informs the planting decisions of Burgundian growers and the broader global Pinot Noir tradition. Clone 113 produces medium-large berries and balanced yields with classic Pinot Noir aromatic profile; widely planted in Burgundy as a commercial workhorse. Clone 114 is similar to 113 with slightly smaller berries and more concentrated flavour. Clone 115 produces the smallest berries of the early Dijon series (alongside 114), with intense aromatic concentration and deep colour; widely regarded as one of the foundational premium-tier Burgundian Pinot Noir clones and extensively planted across Burgundy and globally. Clone 667 produces small berries with intense floral aromatic profile (cherry, raspberry, lavender) and elegant tannin structure; widely planted in Oregon and New Zealand for its expressiveness in cooler climates. Clone 777 produces small berries with deep colour, intense flavour, and structured tannin; complementary to 115 in field blends, regarded as the most structured of the widely-planted Dijon clones. Clone 828 is a late-generation selection developed for cooler-climate New World sites with aromatic emphasis; commercially planted in Oregon, New Zealand, and Tasmania. Clone 943 is a late-generation aromatic-emphasis selection. The Pommard clone (officially 105) produces slightly larger berries than the Dijon series with more open structure, less intense flavour concentration, and earlier-drinking accessibility; often field-blended with Dijon clones in Burgundian and New World plantings to provide complementary structural and aromatic complexity. Other registered Pinot Noir clones include Wadenswil (a Swiss-origin clone widely planted in California and Oregon through the 1970s and 1980s, now largely supplanted by Dijon clones in premium plantings), and various INRA selections from Champagne sources (registered as appropriate for sparkling production). The contemporary Burgundian commercial practice is field blending of multiple clones within a single vineyard plot to achieve aromatic, structural, and ripening complementarity: a typical Côte de Nuits Premier Cru replanting in the 2010s and 2020s might include 30% clone 115, 25% clone 667, 20% clone 777, 15% Pommard 105, and 10% sélection massale to produce a balanced field blend.

• Clone 113: medium-large berries, balanced yields, classic Pinot Noir aromatic profile; commercial workhorse
• Clones 114, 115 (small-berry foundational): intense aromatic concentration, deep colour, premium-tier 1960s-1970s selections
• Clones 667 (floral aromatic, Oregon/NZ favourite), 777 (deep colour, structured tannin, complementary to 115), 828 (cooler-climate New World), 943 (aromatic-emphasis late-generation)
• Pommard 105: slightly larger berries, open structure, less intense concentration; field-blended with Dijon clones for structural/aromatic complementarity

Dijon clones have driven the stylistic transformation of premium Pinot Noir in three principal New World regions across the past four decades. Oregon's Pinot Noir tradition began with David Lett's Eyrie Vineyards in 1965 and Dick Erath's Erath Winery in 1969, both planted with then-available California field selections (predominantly Wadenswil and California-Pommard selections rather than Dijon clones, which were not yet exported to the U.S. at scale). The Domaine Drouhin Oregon establishment in 1987, founded by Joseph Drouhin's daughter Véronique Drouhin-Boss, brought Dijon clones to the Willamette Valley as part of the Drouhin family's commitment to Burgundian-style production; subsequent plantings at Adelsheim (founded 1971, progressively replanted with Dijon clones from late 1980s), Eyrie (Dijon clone trial blocks from 1990s), Domaine Serene, Beaux Frères, Penner-Ash, and the broader premium Oregon Pinot Noir cohort have established Dijon clones as the dominant clonal stock in Oregon's premium tier. New Zealand's Central Otago Pinot Noir tradition, which emerged through the 1990s and 2000s, was built almost entirely on Dijon clones: Felton Road (founded 1991, plantings primarily clones 115, 667, 777, plus Pommard), Mount Difficulty (founded 1992), Rippon Vineyard (Wanaka, founded 1974 by Rolfe Mills, replanted progressively with Dijon clones from 1990s), Akarua, Quartz Reef, and the broader Central Otago cohort. The Marlborough, Martinborough, Wairarapa, and Waipara Pinot Noir traditions follow similar Dijon-clone-anchored pattern. California's premium Pinot Noir tradition was historically dominated by Wadenswil and Pommard selections through the 1970s and 1980s, but Dijon clones have largely supplanted these in premium plantings since the 1990s, with Williams Selyem, Kistler, Kosta Browne, Calera, Gary Farrell, Hartford Court, and the broader Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast cohort establishing Dijon-clone-anchored commercial dominance. The cumulative cross-region adoption has produced a globally consistent Pinot Noir stylistic vocabulary anchored in Burgundian-developed clonal genetics, while regional climate and soil differences continue to differentiate Burgundian, Oregon, New Zealand, and California Pinot Noir at the producer-bottle level despite the shared genetic foundation.

• Oregon: Drouhin Oregon 1987 brought Dijon clones to Willamette Valley; Adelsheim, Domaine Serene, Beaux Frères, Penner-Ash, broader premium cohort progressively adopted from late 1980s
• New Zealand Central Otago: Felton Road (1991, clones 115/667/777/Pommard), Mount Difficulty (1992), Rippon, Akarua, Quartz Reef built on Dijon clones; Marlborough/Martinborough/Wairarapa similar pattern
• California: Williams Selyem, Kistler, Kosta Browne, Calera, Gary Farrell, Hartford Court, Dijon clones supplanted historic Wadenswil/Pommard in premium plantings since 1990s
• Cumulative effect: globally consistent Pinot Noir stylistic vocabulary anchored in Burgundian clonal genetics; regional climate/soil differences continue to differentiate at bottle level

The contemporary Burgundian premium-tier commerce has increasingly favoured sélection massale (mass selection from older vineyard plantings) over certified Dijon clones since the 1990s, with the most prestigious Burgundian estates explicitly rejecting clonal monoculture in favour of genetic diversity within their own historic plantings. Sélection massale operates by identifying superior individual vines within an existing old-vine planting (typically 50+ years old, often 80+ years old), taking cuttings from those vines, and propagating them in nursery beds to produce planting material that preserves the genetic diversity of the original vineyard rather than concentrating on a single clonal genotype. The premium Burgundian estates that have adopted sélection massale prominently include Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (which has practiced sélection massale across all its Grand Cru holdings since the 1980s under the leadership of co-director Aubert de Villaine), Domaine Leroy (where Lalou Bize-Leroy has been a vocal champion of sélection massale since acquiring the domaine in 1988), Domaine Henri Jayer (whose retirement in 2001 ended an estate that operated entirely on sélection massale principles), Domaine Roumier, Domaine Méo-Camuzet, and Domaine Mugnier. The sélection massale approach has theoretical and practical advantages: theoretical because it preserves the genetic diversity that Burgundian climats accumulated over centuries of replanting cycles, with each vineyard's genetic profile reflecting the cumulative selection pressures of its specific microclimate and soil; practical because field-blended genetic diversity provides natural buffering against vintage variation and disease pressure. The countervailing case for certified Dijon clones rests on viticultural reliability (each clone has known disease resistance and yield characteristics), oenological consistency (each clone's stylistic profile is documented and reproducible), and commercial scalability (certified clonal material is available in bulk for new plantings). The contemporary commerce thus operates a hybrid approach: most premier Burgundian estates use sélection massale for replantings within their historic Grand Cru and Premier Cru parcels, while certified Dijon and Pommard clones supply the great majority of new commercial plantings in Burgundy's village-tier and régional vineyards and across the global Pinot Noir tradition. The institutional commitment of the premier-tier domaines to sélection massale represents a deliberate counter-tradition to the broader certified-clone commercial dominance, reinforcing the place-anchored institutional logic that defines Burgundian terroir-as-place philosophy: the genetic profile of a vineyard, like its boundaries and its soils, is part of the place's identity and should be preserved through propagation from within rather than substituted with externally-developed certified material.