Abstract

The use of clonal selections in viticulture allows to have vineyards with defined and uniform characteristics. Different clonal selections of a same cultivar can have different productive and quality based characteristics, which are dependent on environmental factors. The objective of this study was to characterize three grapevine clonal selections ENTAV-INRA (169, 191, and 337) and a massal selection of Cabernet – Sauvignon, submitted to two yield range management by a cluster thinning treatment. Viticulture performance, cluster characterizationgrape, must and wine chemical analyses and wine sensory quality were evaluated during the 2015/2016 season in a commercial VSP vineyard located in the Cauquenes area, Chile. Statistical significance between the treatments was found in several variables, associated to the effect of the clonal material and the yield rangeproductive management. The clone 337 obtained the highest yield, associated to heavier clusters and higher number of berries, a higher Ravaz index and DO280, but a negative correlation for positive attributes in the sensorial analysis. The massal selection had the lowest yield, but was correlated positively to high global quality during tasting, and together with 191, showed the highest content of tannins and anthocyanins in wine. Compared to the control management, cluster thinning increased the cluster weight, due to a higher number of berries, and the wines showed a higher color and content in polyphenols.