Clones in the Whilewolfe Vineyard
For centuries, grape growers have carefully selected vines that display appealing characteristics and used their cuttings to propagate new vineyards (known as ‘massal selection’). Each cutting creates a new clone from the mother vine, in our case, Chardonnay. This means that today, we have a broad range of Chardonnay clonal variations to work with, each offering something different to the final wine.
The Whitewolfe vineyard is planted with seven Chardonnay clones across fourteen blocks. All of these can be considered as ‘dual purpose’, meaning they can be used for both still and sparkling winemaking. Over the centuries, clones have been propagated according to their different attributes, such as fertility, bunch weight, berry size, production level and sugar/acid ripeness as well as their various taste and aroma profiles. Today, our understanding of each clone means we can carefully consider these attributes before planting a vineyard to ensure the potential of the land and its microclimate is realised. For example, the productivity of a clone influences its level of ripeness at harvest just as much as the climate of the vineyard.
At Whitewolfe, each block is individually managed according to the nuances of each clone. This means utilising different viticultural practices to maximise clonal characteristics and achieve the desired style. For example, clones 95 and 76, which originate from Burgundy (and are hence referred to as ‘Burgundy clones’), are often used for sparkling winemaking in
the UK. However, with the right care and attention, these clones can be ripened to produce wines with fine, elegant aromas and a rich, balanced structure reminiscent of Saint-Aubin or Cru Chablis. Whereas clones such as 96 and 121 (also from Burgundy) will provide more ‘typical’ Chardonnay characters with a lively, uplifting freshness.
The cool climate growing conditions of the UK vary greatly from vintage to vintage, and as such, so does the performance of each clone. At Whitewolfe, our extensive winemaking and growing experience has allowed us to adapt our growing practices seasonally. As a result, we are consistently able to achieve the ripening potential of our clones and achieve the best quality grapes at harvest. This provides us with a complex assembly of blending components, like a colour palate to paint with, that allows us to produce world-class wine.
