There are many opinions as to what path to follow regarding the two ways to grow new plants.
Historically, massal selection was the primary means of vineyard propagation and thanks to this, we have an enormous diversity of vines stocks resulting from the evolution in the natural environment. Massal selection provides us with plants perfectly integrated in the environment and with a developed resistance to each specific area. Without a doubt, this method is a win-win scenario for diversity and complexity. On the other hand, clonal selection gives us greater varietal purity and precise information on each acquired clone, and this will result in a simpler viticulture.
SUSTAINABLE VINEYARDS
Both our winery and our technology have been designed by and for long lasting wines.
The parameter of must acidity is a key element for us, since we are obsessed with the search for freshness and longevity of the wines. All vineyard labor is aimed at obtaining well-balanced grapes and the best acidity. Our program includes a procedural change in the care of vineyards, as we are transitioning towards becoming an eco-friendly vineyard in order to obtain the organic certification.
MASSAL SELECTION
The traditional method of vineyard propagation to grow new vineyards or to rectify faults has always been the result of observation and experience. Phenotype—that is, the genetic inheritance of each organism, where all its physical traits are defined, such as height, bunch size, skin thickness, disease resistance, ripening cycle, etc.—always took precedence. As a result of the different harvests carried out over the years, wine growers were able to recognize what plants adapted best to the ground, which ones were more productive or suffered less from diseases, or in the best case scenario, which ones produced better wines. The so-called massal selection fell into disuse after the arrival of the phylloxera plague, although there are wineries that continue to collect plant material from their best vine stocks.
CLONAL SELECTION
Clonal reproduction is agamic—a reproduction where the reproductive cells have no function and the wine grower’s work is aimed at obtaining the same exact plants, without any variability. The usual procedure consists of determining which vine stocks fit best our agro-technical or oenological requirements in order to clone them without limits based on a genetic health study. Working with certified clones reassures us and ensures that the behavior of each vine stock will be identical.