As reported in our last newsletter, we are in the throes of planting a new vineyard to Sangiovese. We gave a lot of thought to the clones to be planted – given, of course, that these vines will be with us for the next 30, 40, 50 years. (A clone, by the way, is an individual plant derived from another plant without fertilisation or asexual reproduction. The clone is exactly identical in all respects to the mother plant. It is to be contrasted with ‘massal selection’ which is what we are doing with our very old vines, but that is a story for another day.) Sangiovese has, at last count, the highest number of recognised clones in the Italian National Registry (just the 102!) and each offers different phenological and enological characteristics. The decision is often a difficult one but the idea is to choose a clone that is best suited to our ‘place’ and the style and quality of wines that we want to produce at Montecalvi. After long discussions (furious debate?) between winemaker and viticulturalist, we have decided on F9 and R24. The F9 clone is a local clone, originating from just down the road in Lamole, and is known for its classic character, high quality, and moderately pale colour. The R24 or Rauscedo 24 originates from Emilia-Romagna and is praised for its ruby-red hues and floral, earthy aromas and flavours.
