169 Clone Cab Sav

[Rayner]

Has anyone ever used these grapes before? I ordered 14 lugs from Gino Pinto

 

[Johnd]

Has anyone ever used these grapes before? I ordered 14 lugs from Gino Pinto

I made clone 169 Cab a few years back...From Lanza. Here’s a link to the thread if you’re interested:

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/southern-crush-day.55072/

 

[whackfol]

I assume these are part of the Lanza/Musto/Pinto partnership. If so, I have tried the clone 8, 169 and Koch packed under this label at LV. I never made all three in the same year so I have no ability to compare the clones. I can say the Koch the one year I purchased it was very tanic and it took a lot of wine to blend it down to my taste. Of the three, my best wine came from a blend of merlot and cab franc with the 169. I also used some 169 with sangiovese and it might be my best wine ever.

I like the Suisun grapes and am set to purchase clone 169 this year as my main red. My only suggestion is to make sure it has not been in Pinto's cooler too long and, if they allow, look through the lugs to select the best you can. It's three to five days on a truck from CA to NJ and you don't know how long it was held in cold storage before it was shipped and then before you pick it up.

Are you getting something to blend with it?

 

[Rayner]

I’m making 14 lugs of Lanza PS too