Jouget in Chinon has or had ungrafted vines, again from sandy soils.
Luis Pato in Portugal has a bottling from sandy soils. The production per hectare is a half or a third that from his regular plantings, I remember.
As David B said, there are ungrafted vines in Germany. As I recall, the louse don’t like slate.
As I recall, Chile has a lot of ungrafted vines because phylloxera just never made it there. Maybe Argentina, too? Not sure.
Actually ungrafted, own-rooted?
Is it pretty isolated from other vines?
Lots of them in Argentina. Some claim that the way they irrigate, by flooding the vineyard int he spring, has removed the phylloxera. Some claim that it’s just their soil. I think it’s just because it hasn’t been introduced yet.
Also some vineyards in Spain that are own-rooted. Down around Valencia for example, and even in Rueda. Some say it’s sandy soil. Maybe. But just as likely simply hasn’t been contaminated yet.
Put together this list from vineyard visits and from winemaker info, gathered from write-ups on my various travels and tastings for Grape-Nutz.com since 2006. These are mostly blocks of own-rooted vines within vineyards rather than entire vineyards. But based on this being a list from one person’s visits through scattered growing areas up and down the state - and just happening upon these examples - there must be many more blocks and entire vineyards in California that have own-rooted vines. I also included one Oregon vineyard that I happened to see listed in my noteswith own-rooted vines.
Aria’s Vineyard (Cabot), Humboldt County
Own-rooted Syrah Noir clone
Hirsch Vineyard, Sonoma Coast (Fort Ross-Seaview)
Block 15 - planted to Pommard, Swan, Calera Pinot clones, some own-rooted
Hellenthal Vineyard, Old Shop Block, Sonoma Coast (Fort Ross-Seaview)
Own-rooted Calera Pinot vines in a separate block planted in sandy loam soil in 1980 by David Hirsch
Kent Berry Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
About 15-year old own-rooted Pinot vines, unknown clone
Spring Ridge Vineyard (Varner), Santa Cruz Mountains
Amphitheater Block - own-rooted 29 year-old Wente Clone Chardonnay
Home Block - own-rooted 30 year-old Clone 4 Chardonnay
McHenry Estate Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains (Ben Lomond Mountain)
Pinot is mostly own-rooted, dry-farmed Swan clone vines, with a little 115 as well
Horseshoe Ranch (Rhys), Santa Cruz Mountains
Massale-style planting of own-rooted Pinot
Silver Mountain Estate Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
Own-rooted Swan and Pisoni Clone Pinot, planted 2003
Booker Vineyard, Paso Robles (Templeton Gap District)
Some head-trained, own-rooted Grenache vines plus other own-rooted plantings
Torrin Estate Vineyard, Paso Robles (Templeton Gap District)
Some own-rooted Grenache
Terry Hoage Vineyard, “Meter-by-Meter Block,” Paso Robles (Templeton Gap District)
Syrah, vines spaced one meter apart, planted on their own roots
Paderewski Vineyard (Epoch), Paso Robles (Adelaida District)
Own-rooted clone 174 Syrah
Luna Matta Vineyard, Paso Robles, (Adelaida District)
Own-rooted Alban clone Grenache (maybe other varieties as well)
Adams Ranch (Ledge), Paso Robles (Willow Creek District)
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, initial planting in 2005 on own roots
Snow Vineyard, Paso Robles
First planted in 1980 and has head-trained Zinfandel on its own roots
Steiner Creek Vineyard, San Luis Obispo County (near Cambria)
Own-rooted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Wolff Estate Vineyard, Edna Valley
Own-rooted Wente Clone Chardonnay
Laetitia Vineyard, Arroyo Grande Valley
Own-rooted 35 year-old Martini clone Pinot
Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
Own-rooted 40 year-old Chardonnay vines
Own-rooted 40 year-old Pommard Clone Pinot
Buttonwood Farm, Santa Ynez Valley (Los Olivos District)
All the original 1983 plantings are own-rooted, though some have been grafted over to different grape varieties over the years
La Clarine Farm, El Dorado County
Syrah and Grenache planted on their own roots
Sentinel Oak Vineyard, Pyramid Block (Domaine de la Terre Rouge), Shenandoah Valley
Planted in 1983-84 with own-rooted Syrah 1 and Estrella River clones
Forlorn Hope Estate Vineyard (formerly Stevenot Vineyard), Calaveras County
Own-rooted Wente clone Chardonnay planted in the 1970s
White Rose Vineyard, Dundee Hills, Oregon
Own-rooted Pommard clone Pinot planted in 1980
Bear in mind this is parcel and/or bottling specific:
Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Alte Reben
J. J. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese* (and other bottlings)
Loewen/Schmitt Wagner Longuicher Maximinern Herrenberg
Various Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten bottlings (not their Treppchen wines)
Among others…
Sure, pretty much the first 20 years of vineyard plantings in Oregon were exactly that.
Curious thread and not a topic I’ve given much thought to. Is there a perceived difference in quality to an own rooted block or vineyard or do you all enjoy tracking this more from a “romantic” point of view? From everything I’ve read about this, phylloxera seems to have necessitated the use of resistant rootstock in prone regions, although no perceptible variations in taste or aromatics have been attributed to grafting to resistant rootstock. Rather vintage and vine management techniques have demonstrated much more influence over the quality of the fruit (per a study by WSU). From a growers perspective, the risk/reward of keeping own rooted vines versus switching over in affected regions seems to favor going with resistant rootstock. WA and OR haven’t seen the degree of phylloxera as CA, therefore if I was growing in CA and concerned about it, I’d have no problem transitioning over. Do you all see the value of growing and vinifying own rooted vines as outweighing the risks of losing vines to phylloxera? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the thought of pure rootstock and the more natural, unadulterated way of growing as much as anyone, but if the resulting fruit is no different than a more “high tech” means which will allow the vines to thrive further into the future, I’m not sure I care too much.
The Germans don’t seem to make much of a fuss. I think quite a lot of the Mosel is ungrafted, though I forget specifics. David’s list is a good start.
Own-rooted vines are important in regions with extreme winter temperatures where cold can kill vines down to the ground. When this happens, own-rooted Chardonnay comes back as Chardonnay. Now, if this were to happen to a grafted vine, then it would need to be re-grafted or the whole vine replanted.
Yep. That applies to lots of grafted plants, whether ornamental or crop. But the problem is that phylloxera can be introduced by muddy boots or any number of other methods. So it’s a bit of a risk.
I like the idea of ungrafted vines. I’m not sure that they make a whole lot of difference, but all things being equal, why not?
It appears there are some specific blocks that are own-rooted:
“Pisoni planted a 4.5 -acre parcel-the Elias block-to own rooted Pinot Noir vines in 1994, and harvested the first vintage in 1998. (All of Pisoni’s vines originated from cutting he brought back from Burgundy, now known as the Pisoni clone.) Encouraged by the success of the Elias vines, Pisoni planted own-rooted Pinot Noir in two additional blocks, the 3-acres Mommy’s block and the 2.5-acre Camper block.”
Link: http://www.luciavineyards.com/press-articles/wines-and-vines.html
Many would say wine from own-rooted grapes have a different texture than grafted vines, along with the fact that they’re generally older vines since most people planting nowadays would graft to avoid phylloxera. Winemakers could likely chime in and provide more descriptive thoughts. I was listening to the Soliste podcast on Grape Radio the other day and was intrigued by their MonoClone project and all the thought going into making wines from specific clones (not that it’s unusual to focus on clones) but didn’t hear much commentary regarding the rootstock. I’ve heard vineyard managers who focus more on the rootstock than the clones, which is an interesting contrast. I’m surprised at all the listed vineyards from CA - I didn’t think there would be that many left!
A few others from the Loire are (certain wines):
Catherine & Pierre Breton
Domaine Des Roches Neuves (Thierry Germain)
Terre Nere’s Vigna de Don Peppino from Sicily is labeled “pre-phylloxera.”
They are making a bigger deal about it now that they know they can use it to get Americans to buy the wines.
Own-rooted vinifera vines can have much lower yields in some cases, as I mentioned above in referring to Luis Pato. As I recall, one of the reasons that California turned out to be so vulnerable to phylloxera was that UC Davis promoted the use of rootstocks that increased yields but weren’t terribly resistant to the pests.
I believe Roy Piper once said that the newer, more phylloxera-resistant rootstocks might produce fruit that reached phenolic ripeness at higher sugar level than older root choices. He cited that as one reason for the rising alcohol levels in California wines. I was always kind of skeptical of that, but if it were true it would be relevant here. In any event, it shows again that people believe that rootstock do affect the fruit.
John - did he say how that ripeness issue would be achieved? I’m really skeptical about that because leaves produce the carbs that are then delivered to the berries, and then sugars and acids and other compounds are produced in situ, so I don’t see how the rootstock affects all those things that happen elsewhere in the vine.
Rootstocks will affect water uptake and they can be selected for resistance to various pests and problems, and they may also be better able to survive in soils of different pH. The pH of the soil, in addition to other things, determines how much of various elements will be available for actual use by the plant as opposed to simply being present. So I suppose the fruit could be affected in that way - if you have a lot of magnesium in the soil but the soil has a low pH, the magnesium may be unavailable and that could have an effect since it’s essential for things like developing chlorophyll. A deficiency would affect yield. I don’t know how it would affect the fruit directly, but I guess I have to do some research. Maybe it does.
As far as own-rooted vines and lower yields - I think that’s more a function of those vines having being left alone. Humans confuse the hell out of a vine. Under normal conditions it just wants to grow and produce some seeds. We prune them, trellis them, pull leaves, pull clusters and do all kinds of weird things to the point that the vine doesn’t know what it’s supposed to be doing.
You’d have to ask Roy. It was in a debate over rising alcohols, and he was saying they might be required to get phenolic ripeness on current rootstocks, versus AxR1 and other rootstocks that were used before phylloxera reappeared in earnest in the 80s and 90s.
Pato planted his own-rooted baga vines a few decades ago – these aren’t ancient – so I assume this reflects the plants, not intervention. His daughter explained that it wasn’t that commercially sensible, but Luis wanted to know what the wine would taste like from its own roots.
California footnote: I was puzzled how it was that there is so much old-vine zin. I asked a winemaker a few years back (Mick Unti? I can’t remember for sure) who said that the St. George rootstock that was used in the late 1800s, when phylloxera first struck, was actually quite resistant. It was the later rootstocks that were vulnerable. And as I recall higher yields was the selling point of AxR1.
Well, depends on how much you believe foggy memories, spotty to nonexistent record keeping, oral histories and the general fuzziness of the wine industry, the recounting of history and Oregonians who may or may not have been smoking some gnarly ganja. At best, not an exact science.
Can’t you see the grafts?