Pinot Noir Old School Clones
Pommard
1.5 acres planted
The Pommard selection has been available in California for a number of years and can work great as a stand-alone clone. It is sometimes known for having a meaty/gamey edge, but also expresses itself through very pure dark fruits. Melville has traditionally been successful fermenting these lots with about one-third whole clusters.
Mount Eden
3.1 acres planted
One of the oldest clones in the state, the Mount Eden clone was reportedly brought to California in the late 19th century by Paul Masson from one of Louis Latour’s Burgundian vineyards. Locally, it also has an interesting history as it was used to plant the Sanford & Benedict vineyard in the early 1970s, while subsequent cuttings started the pinot noir at Lafond in the early 1980s. Melville procured budwood from Lafond in 1998. This clone is very dark and rich and offers tremendous bass tones to the wine. Melville has been very successful experimenting with different levels of stem inclusion for this clone. Similar to the Pommard clone, Mount Eden also displays completeness standing on its own.
Swan
1.2 acres planted
This clone also has historical significance, as it was propagated in the Russian River Valley by Joseph Swan in 1969. Part of Melville’s Terraces section, this block is severely influenced by wind exposure. Due to the battered condition of the clusters upon picking, Melville traditionally de-stems the entirety of this clone. It displays beautiful, bright fruit with moderate richness.
Clone 9
.9 acres planted
Also known as Jackson clone, it is named after an experimental vineyard that was planted in 1889 near the town of Jackson in Northern California’s Sierra Foothills. This clone is rarely bottled on its own because of both its scarcity and because it lends itself to blending with other clones of pinot noir. The small amount with which Melville works (typically in conjunction with clone 16 mentioned below), has produced light to moderate weight wines with beautiful aromatics.
Clone 16
.7 acres planted
Like clone 9, the majority of this section is farmed for another client, with a small portion being retained for Melville.
2A
2.6 acres planted
Also known as the Wadenswil selection, clone 2A has been planted quite significantly in both California and Oregon. It has similar characteristics to clone 115 and seems quite complete on its own.
Calera
1.4 acres planted
Melville acquired this clone of Pinot Noir from Calera in 2004. In 1973, Calera received cuttings from another California producer who had reported that the original source was from a quality vineyard in Burgundy (Cote d’Or).
Clone 943
1.8 acres planted
Clone 943 originated in the Côte-d’Or of Burgundy, France, and although it was introduced to the United States in 1989, has very limited availability here even today. 943 is one of the few Dijon clones for which the French have negotiated a royalty payment on every bud sold in the U.S. Therefore, very few nurseries sell the clone. Clone 943 produces highly aromatic wines with supple, velvety tannins, deep color, small-berried clusters, and low yields. In fact, this clone has the lowest yield compared with 777, 667, 114, and 115.
Clone 37
2.7 acres planted
In February 1974, the owners of Mount Eden Vineyards selected Merry Edwards, the “Queen of Pinot”, to be their winemaker. Merry made three vintages while at Mount Eden and earned a reputation as a rising star in the California wine industry. In 1975, Merry selected cuttings from Mount Eden’s pinot noir vineyard and sent them to UC Davis for heat treatment (to remove virus) and propagation. This field selection was then named UCD clone 37 (also known as the “Merry Edwards selection”) and became a star performer in the Russian River Valley. It is known for producing beautiful wines with complex aromatics, deep color, and velvety tannins.
