Terroir 1996 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Effects of water and nitrogen uptake, and soil temperature, on vine development, berry ripening and wine quality of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet franc and Merlot (Saint-Emilion, 1997)

Effects of water and nitrogen uptake, and soil temperature, on vine development, berry ripening and wine quality of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet franc and Merlot (Saint-Emilion, 1997)

Abstract

Wine quality depends largely on berry ripening conditions in relation to soil and climat. The influence of the soil has been studied in Bordeaux since the early Seventies (SEGUIN, 1970; DUTEAU et al., 1981; VAN LEEUWEN, 1991; VAN LEEUWEN et SEGUIN, 1994) and, more recently, in the Val de Loire (MORLAT, 1989), the Alsace (LEBON, 1993) and the Costières de Nîmes regions (MARTIN, 1995). Its influence is complexe, because both physical (soil temperature, water uptake) and chemical (nitrogen uptake) soil parameters interfere on vine development and berry ripening.
Vine development, berry ripening and wine quality were studied in Saint-Emilion (Bordeaux area, France), in 1997, in relation to three different soil types:
– G: Gravelly soil
– S: Sandy soil, with a water table in reach of the roots
– C: Heavy clay soil
Three cultivars were compared, Vitis vinifera Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet franc and Merlot. Water uptake, nitrogen uptake and soil temperature were measured to explain the different vine expressions on the nine plots (3 soils x 3 cultivars).

DOI:

Publication date: March 2, 2022

Issue: Terroir 1998

Type: Article

Authors

CORNELIS VAN LEEUWEN

ENITA de Bordeaux/ Faculté d’Œnologie de Bordeaux
1, Cours du Général de Gaulle 33175, Gradignan

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 1998

Citation

Related articles…

Methodological advances in relating deep root activity to whole vine physiology

Full understanding of grapevine responses to variable soil resources requires
assessing the grapevine root system. Grapevine root systems are expansive and examining deep roots (i.e., >40 cm)
is particularly important in conditions where grapevines increase reliance on deep soil resources, such as drought
or plant competition. Traditional methods of assessing roots rely on morphological traits associated specific
functions (e.g., root color, diameter, length), while recent methodological advances allow for estimating root
function more directly (e.g., omics). Yet, the potential of applying refined methods remains underexplored for roots
at deep depths.

Distinctive flavour or taint? The case of smoky characters in wine

Forest fires in the vicinity of vineyards have significantly increased in the last decade and are a concern for grapegrowers and winemakers in many wine producing countries. The fires cause smoke drift throughout vineyards which cannot be avoided and may result in the production of wines described as ‘smoke tainted’. Such wines are characterized by undesirable sensory characters described as ‘smoky’, ‘burnt’, ‘ash’ aromas and flavours, and also may cause a lingering, unpleasant ashy aftertaste [1; 2].

A phylogenomic study reveals the major dissemination routes of ‘Tempranillo Tinto’ in the Iberian Peninsula

‘Tempranillo Tinto’ is a black-berried Iberian cultivar that originated from a hybridization between cvs. ‘Benedicto’ and ‘Albillo Mayor’ [1]. Today, it is the third most widely grown wine grape cultivar worldwide with more than 200,000 hectares of vineyards mostly distributed along the Iberian Peninsula, where it is also known as ‘Cencibel’, ‘Tinta de Toro’, ‘Tinta Roriz’, and ‘Aragonez’, among other synonyms. Here, we quantified the intra-varietal genomic diversity in this cultivar through the study of 35 clones or ancient vines from seven different Iberian wine-making regions. A comparative analysis after Illumina whole-genome sequencing revealed the presence of 1,120 clonal single nucleotide variants (SNVs).

Viticultural zoning of central chile based on bioclimatic indexes and the impact of climate warming

Climate is considered one of the main factors that determines the aptitude of a specific location for growing grapes and producing high quality wine, being in that sense one of the main elements defining the concept of terroir

Vineyard soils characterization and its influence on the grape quality of cv. Carmenère in the Maipo Valley, Chile

Produced since 1998, the De Martino Single Vineyard Carmenère is the first Carmenère Icon wine of Chile. The grapes are coming form a plot of 11 ha in Isla de Maipo, where the technicians of the winery have developed knowledge of their work, resulting in 3 levels of quality of the grapes.