Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/957564
April 2018 WINES&VINES 43 "The 2016 vintage start was the earliest ever at Schug. We did see some cooling in August and then things normalized a bit so we ended the season not that far off. The main concern during the growing season was the health of the vines. However, crop loads were modest and actually our water demands were not as high as one might expect." Dijon vs. heritage clones Sloan, who provides data on two sites (TBH Vineyard and MK Vine- yard) in order to better illustrate variables within a harvest, also touches on clonal predilections, contrasting heritage clones of Pinot Noir with the modern Dijon clones propagated in Burgundy. "With clones, it's been an inter- esting journey," he said, "We planted MK Vineyard 19 years ago, when there was little information on clones. I used a book by John Caldwell ("A Concise Guide to Wine Grape Clones for Profession- als," 1996) at a time when Dijon selections were first coming on scene in California. Almost every vineyard I planted to Dijon starts out at 3.5-3.6 pH before fermenta- tion, so you're having to add tar- taric acid in the winery. With the Calera, Swan and Pommard clones, I don't in general. I'm a classic, more traditional Pinot Noir pro- ducer—a little bit more on the tertiary, a little less on the forward fruit side. I like those herbal notes, the forest floor and mushroom notes, and I find I get more of that kind of rustic, old world essence in wines from the Calera and Swan and Pommard selections than I do with the Dijon." Meanwhile, in Oregon, Thomas Houseman of Anne Amie said: "I am finding that my favorite wines the past few years are coming from non-Dijon clones. There seems to be a predictable uniformity in Dijon clones. They do their job. They do it well. But, I'm really enjoying the unique flavors of the selections. Musigny was a favorite in my cellar last year. I also am curious about others who have had an opportu- nity to work with this selection." In Eola-Amity Hills, Felipe Ramirez of Chapter 24 Vineyards uses Dijon clones. "We care about clones, but for us it is more impor- tant what kind of soils and rocks we have under the vines, so all our new plantation is a blend of clones driven by the soil," he said. Vine spacing Besides clonal selection, vine spacing and trellising choices run the gamut. Ramirez employs 6.5- feet by 3.2-feet vine spacing with WINEMAKING C h a r l o i s C o o p e r a g e , U S A 1 2 8 5 F o o t h i l l B l v d - C l o v e r d a l e , C A 9 5 4 2 5 P h : ( 7 0 7 ) 2 2 4 - 2 3 7 7 - F a x : ( 7 0 7 ) 2 2 4 - 2 3 9 0 i n f o @ c h a r l o i s c o o p e r a g e u s a . c o m w w w. c h a r l o i s c o o p e r a g e u s a . c o m When American oak meets French exper tise Integrated by the Char lois Group in 2011, and located in Califor nia's Sonoma Valley, this cooperage combines American production and French quality to create the best oak bar rels stateside. All the exceptional know-how built up by the Char lois Group's experience of wor king with oak is now brought to the USA thanks to this acquisition. Exper tise, quality and sustainable development are combined to create local products intended to complement the quality of the winemaker s' effor ts. Char lois Cooperage USA's raw material is sourced from the best oak forests of the Appalachian Mountains with the finest grains of the best American stave wood being hand-picked to make its bar rels. The fr uit of this intercontinental alliance is the creation of a high-end collection of American oak bar rels. Schug Winery's vines in Sonoma Carneros grow on an east-facing slope.