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Ten hectares of Sauvignon Blanc vines are being replaced with Pinot Noir at Murdoch James Estate in Martinborough in a move that will cost the winery over $300,000.
“This is not a decision for the faint hearted. Not only is there a significant cost involved; we also had to accept it can take up to five years for the new vines to return a full crop,” says Murdoch James Estate founder, Roger Fraser.
The decision to replace over 25,000 vines, which represent 25% of the winery’s plants, was made after the acquisition of two new vineyards, one of which had large Sauvignon Blanc plantings.
Winemaker, Carl Fraser (son of Roger), says the replanting will provide him and his family the opportunity to capitalise on planting the most suitable clones of Pinot Noir for the conditions. The current plantings include the established Abel clone and the recently identified clone 943.
“It all sounds a bit technical, but what it translates to is choosing the very best of what is now available. Abel is a key ingredient of the most highly noted Martinborough wines, while Dr Raymond Bernard, known as the “father of clonal selection” in the vineyards of Burgundy, was recently quoted as saying “clone 943 should be regarded as a the next big step forward for Pinot Noir.”
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