Un-grafted vines survive hot dry summer

Un-grafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Carignan did particularly well in Spain and Chile after a very hot and dry summer for many wine regions.

Many of these un-grafted vines are often very old with deep root networks, but not all vines go deep. Concha y Toro’s technical director, Marcelo Papa told drinks business magazine 'the benefit of un-grafted Cabernet stems from its ability to root deeply, that this might not be an advantage in all areas. Cabernet Sauvignon and its family of varieties, such as Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, have a robust system of roots, and you need that in an area such as the Maipo, where it is dry and the roots need to go deep to look for a stable amount of water in the soil. This is the opposite of Bordeaux [where the water table might be located at 5-7m below the surface as opposed to more than 100m in Maipo], so you might want to choose a rootstock that roots horizontally to avoid picking up too much water.'