A Wine Geek’s Guide to Cabernet Clones, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Sept 2024
John F. Caldwell started out as a vineyard guy, and spent the first part of his wine career seeking out the greatest Bordeaux clones to plant in his 128 acre estate vineyard in Coombsville. Virginie Boone, esteemed writer for the Wine Enthusiast, writes about it in her latest article, “A Wine Geek’s Guide to Cabernet Sauvignon Clones Around the World”.
“Some of the clearest language about clones comes from Napa Valley vintner John Caldwell.
‘In viticulture, a clone is a population of vines derived by vegetative propagation from a single vine, called a mother vine,” he says. “All vines grown from cuttings or buds of this vine are genetically identical. Future generations will remain identical unless a spontaneous mutation occurs, creating a bud with an altered genetic makeup.’
In addition to founding Caldwell Vineyard in the Coombsville appellation, which cultivates 10 clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, among other wines, Caldwell ran a certified California nursery from which he could legally sell vine cuttings. He was also the first American importer of French clones licensed by France’s regulatory agency, Etablissement National Technique pour l’Amélioration de la Viticulture (ENTAV).”