Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/490558
{ SOMMjournal.com } 91 CLONES IN SLO WINE COUNTRY Matching clonal selection to sites and soils in the Edna and Arroyo Grande Valleys has only recently been dialed-in, and to great effect. For Chardonnay, producers are no longer wedded to crop-heavy Tepusquet clones 4 and 5, instead planting those that are better suited to the cool climate, with less acidity and crop: Dijon clones 95, 96 and 548; UCD Clone 4 and 17; and Wente. Early Pinot Noir clones were often Swan and Martini 13, but these days, 667 and 777 offer lower yields and smaller berries; along with Dijon clones 113, 114, and 115; 2A, and 943 for small, dark fruit. SLO Wine Country pioneer Edna Valley Vineyard. quality Pinot Noir," says Gwen. "It has just about the perfect weather. We're tickled to have ten acres of our own to control." The desire for estate control is a theme in Edna Valley, perhaps as a counterpoint to the one-size-fits-all farming that plagued its first days. Stephen Dooley of Stephen Ross Cellars remembers how some early Edna Valley producers used a Burgundian formula for Chardonnay that didn't trans- late to Pinot Noir. "The biggest adjust- ments we've made are planting really good Pinot Noir clones, exposing the grapes to sunshine, vertical shoot positioning and providing air exposure. Now the wines have better pigment, flavor development and tannins." "We're all estate, so we're all about control," says Andy Niner, whose 43-acre Jespersen Vineyard is the only Niner Wine Estates vineyard not located in Paso Robles. "It was within the radius of being able to safely ship our grapes at night [to the winery], and was set up for high-quality viticulture from the first planting - the right clones, right rootstock, and right spacing to facilitate high-quality, low-yield farming." "The type of winemaker I wanted to be like always had their own vineyards they were intimate with," says Mike Sinor. "This is all self-financed, not a trust fund situa- tion. We sacrificed vacations, living space, and were able to grow a vineyard that overlooks the ocean." ALTERNATIVE WHITES IN THE EDNA VALLEY Given the success of Chardonnay in the Edna Valley, Niven Family Wine Estates launched their Tangent brand to explore alternative white varieties, in addition to the Zocker label, which is comprised of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling exclusively. "There wasn't a domestic winery dedicated to alternative white varietals," says John Niven. "We wanted to take our white wines to the next level with all stainless vessels, all cool-climate, pure fruit." Varieties for Tangent include Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño, which is some- thing of an up-and-coming variety in Edna Valley. Talley Vineyard Chardonnay is a benchmark for the Arroyo Grande Valley appellation.