Old Vines & Clones
Massal Selection and Acodadura Techniques

For those of us not trained in viticulture, talk about vine clones is pretty mysterious stuff. Presumably, you want to use clones of really good vines for new vineyard plantings. While this makes plenty of sense, what is not clear is what exactly makes for a good vine that is worthy of cloning. The tricky part lies once again in the difference between commercial/industrial wine production versus low yield, high quality wine production that expresses character of place.

Vine clones developed in commercial nurseries for the purpose high yields or disease resistance go back to a time when farmers were paid for their grapes by weight, so the more grapes you grew per vine the more cash you would get at harvest. In the late 1960s and into the 1970s when the wines of Rioja started to receive greater international success and demand, there was a big expansion of new plantings to keep up with the demand.

The government helped sponsor new plantings and together with growers and cooperatives many high yield and more disease resistant vine clones were planted, presumably to keep up with expected growth in demand and also for greater profits. Unfortunately, a key element that got lost in much of the shuffle was quality.

Ironically, the success of Rioja wines, which was due in large part to their quality was significantly undermined by the end of the 1970s because of a far too rapid expansion of production. Too often young vines, over-production and high yield vines led to weaker, lower quality wines. And Rioja's reputation went down as a result.

Basilio amid the 100+ year old vines of the Gallocanto vineyard, a mix of Garnacha Blanco and Viura white grapes.
Photo: Courtesy & © 2010 Gerry Dawes

Things have changed in Spain quite a bit since that crisis, although the old thinking still persists, especially in more rural areas. However, for quality focused wineries and top flight producers like Basilio, working with high quality clones is essential. Two propagation techniques to ensure quality clones are Acodadura and Massal Selection.

Old Vines & Low Yields
The primary reason old vines are preferred by top producers is that they normally have low yields, which means there are fewer grapes per vine, but they are more concentrated (and thus higher quality). Also, the deeper roots of older vines theoretically are able to absorb more of the minerals in the soil, which become apparent in the concentrated grapes of old vines. The flip side is that these vines don't produce much and require extra attention. This is why many great old vine vineyards have been sadly torn up before their time.

In pre-phylloxera days, Acodadura could be used for replanting a whole vine, rootstock and all. Nowadays, it can only be used for propagating into soil not infested by phylloxera or for planting into those few areas that are naturally resistant to phylloxera. Basilio believes that although this method requires more intense effort than planting a nursery generated vine, it is definitely worth the effort to preserve the character of the vineyard.

Massal Selection
Massal Selection, Selección Masal in Spanish, is a way of selecting very high quality source vines to be used in the propagation of new vines. By taking cuttings from a selection of genetically different vines from the same vineyard or nearby vineyards that have all performed well in the past, a cluster of high quality, but genetically diverse clones can be made. Deciding which vines to select can be based on a range of criteria observed out in the field, depending on the desired results, such as better ripening, lower yielding, disease resistant, etc.

These diverse cuttings can be used for grafting onto existing rootstocks. This selection method ensures high quality new vines that are both well adapted to the area and offer complexity from diversity of source vines—rather than planting from a single master clone, which can result in sameness in the harvest.

One important caveat here: Massal Selection must take place from a source vineyard that is actually comprised of genetically diverse vines. Massal Selection from a vineyard planted with a single nursery created clone, or a few high yield nursery clones will not result in diversity and complexity. It will simply reproduce the nursery clone with its typical focus on high-yields or disease resistance, rather than quality.

This is why Basilio and other high-quality producers insist on working only with vines planted prior to the advent of high-yield, nursery created clones. Or for new plantings only from Massal Selection cuttings from pre-nursery vineyards. Preferably, pre-nursery vineyards that were propagated from Massal Selection themselves, according to criteria previously observed in the vineyard. This gives even greater assurance of quality, diversity and complexity.

Tech Details:
74 cases produced. Blend: 65% Garnacha Blanca, 35% Viura.
Oak Treatment: Barrel fermentation in new French oak for 6 months. Batonnage every two weeks.

"B de Basilio" Red 2007, Rioja DOCa $50 –
Displaying a brilliant, purple-hued ruby color, this suave, fruit encased red is super fragrant. Effusive scents of strawberry and black cherry immediately greet you on the nose, followed by hints of clay and loam. Supple, silky and juicy on the attack, additional notes of strawberry, black cherry and mixed berries unfold. Fine oak tones emerge, adding roundness to the supple mouthfeel. Seamlessly integrated acidity and very fine ripe tannins provide structure. The long finish is capped by soft hints of spice and chewy strawberry tones. Suave and simply a pleasure to drink.