This is still an ongoing trial, and already i like what I’m seeing.
We have some Guyot Chenin blanc and Chardonnays that produce big crops with good quality, but we don’t have any Cabernet Sauvignon on this trellis system. Well, this year we pruned a block Guyot system and what a difference!!!
For those out there that don’t know what a Guyot system is, let me try to explain:
Each vine has two canes and two spurs, the canes being trained in opposite directions along wires. The spurs are the renewal shoots that would be the following seasons canes. This specific system is also referred to as Double Guyot or Double Cane pruning. The system is named after Dr. Jules Guyot – a French physician and agronomist who lived in the 1800’s.
So, what’s our aim with this system on Cabernet Sauvignon? Well, there are basically 3 aims:
1. Bigger yields
2. Maintaining quality and achieving good colour and structure of the grapes and wine
3. Sustainably producing bigger crops of better quality
So now you can argue and ask why can’t you get this results with normal spur pruning? Well, Cabernet Sauvignon tend to be more fertile at the 5th and 6th bud. The bunches are bigger and you are almost certain of two bunches per shoot. Plus you have less suckering work. Pruning can be time consuming yes, but for the sake of this exercise I’m ignoring it.
Lets see how this block ripens the grapes and I’ll write something on this again.