Unik massal selection to increase diversity

Looking for exceptional plant material?

Massal selections help increase genetic diversity and counterbalance a certain level of uniformity. But not all are equal. Some do not produce better wines than reference clones and can reintroduce major sanitary risks thought to be eliminated. Contrary to common belief, just because a strain is old or simply different from a clone does not mean it is necessarily suited to your growing conditions or your agronomic and enological requirements.

All about the Unik program

BENEFITS FOR VITICULTURE

Through the Unik program, Novatech Sélection offers the most demanding winemakers high-quality massal selections that allow the production of exceptional wines, with great complexity and without sanitary or agronomic risks.

Produce an exceptional wine, a source of emotion. From a vineyard plot or terroir, massal selections enhance the organoleptic complexity of the resulting wines.
Increase the genetic diversity of an estate. Thanks to the large number of strains involved, massal selection significantly increases the genetic diversity of a vineyard and contributes to the preservation of shared genetic heritage.
Avoid sanitary and agronomic risks. Major sanitary and agronomic risks can resurface with massal selections. The strains included in the Unik program are tested and guaranteed free of the main grapevine viruses. They have undergone several years of agronomic and oenological evaluation to confirm their superior characteristics compared to the reference clones and the desired objectives.

PROCESS and skills involved

Not all massal selections are equal. A Unik massal selection goes far beyond a traditional massal selection. We internally master all the essential skills required to carry out a high-quality massal selection. It is important to note that this work is long-term: a minimum of 12 years is needed to offer a high-level massal selection.

Prospection: For each variety included in the program, a specification sheet is established, precisely defining the objectives of the massal selection. Based on this sheet, our agronomist engineers survey the oldest vineyards to identify candidate strains. This prospection covers a wide area, ensuring broad genetic diversity. At the end of this first step, several hundred strains are selected.
Sanitary analysis: Systematically, our analysis department performs PCR sanitary tests on all candidate strains. Only virus-free strains continue in the selection program.
Agronomic evaluation: Healthy candidate strains are multiplied and planted on multiple evaluation plots that include one or more reference clones. A comparative agronomic evaluation of the strains is carried out over several years to identify and characterize those that meet the objectives.
Oenological evaluation: Following the agronomic evaluation, the selected genetic pool undergoes micro-winemaking for 2 consecutive years. A panel of variety experts evaluates the oenological potential of the Unik massal selection under development.

Result: Only if the initial objectives are met does the massal selection enter the Unik catalogue for multiplication for winemakers. Twelve years of study and evaluation are required to create a Unik massal selection.

Available varieties

Several varieties are already available, while others are under evaluation. Unik massal selections are multiplied exclusively by Pépinières Mercier. Unik is a registered trademark.