Tick off the items that create a wine’s unique character. Soil and weather, farming practices. The winemaker’s choices matter – fermentation options, time on lees, the source of oak. That’s pretty much it. Well, except for clones.
Varietals are cloned – a shoot grafted onto rootstock – to address a number of factors that add up to quality, yield, durability or all of the above. Each clone reacts differently to a growing season.
Wrath Wines produces 10 different Pinot Noirs. To show just how individual clones can be, the team presents several bottles from the same San Saba Vineyard, made using similar winemaking techniques.
The 2019 Wrath Pinot Noir from a blend of clones 115 and 667 offers steady fruit, with rose petals and more on the nose. The flavors are rich, with a wealth of cherry that gushes then recedes.
A 2019 vintage with a blend of Swan and 828 presents an intricate bouquet. It’s bold on the palate – cured cherries and berries, fallen leaves, trodden earth and a spiciness that pricks the finish.
Pommard 4 and 777 in combination beckon from another 2019 vintage. A sip releases dried petals and brewing tea, leading to a long and spicy crescendo.
The 2019 Wrath Ex Vite is a Pinot Noir from clones 667, 777 and Swan – and it is a rascal. On the nose it is floral. Ripe berries wash over the palate, deepened only by traces of dusty soil – a trick, as it begins to sink mid-sip toward a finish that is dense and lusty.
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