Prior

Winegrowers Supplies - Vine variety information

Prior (originally known as Fr. 455-83 r, previously Fr. 484-87 r)

Mother: Joannès-Seyve 23-416 x Pinot Noir
Father: Bronner (Merzling X Gm 6494)

A red Piwi/disease-resistant variety.

Year of breeding: 1987
Country of origin: Germany
Breeder/License holder: Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg
Number of clones: 0

Year of entry into the German Federal Office's Varieties Register:
Area planted in Germany in : hectares (trial areas)
Area planted in England: none

From trials in Switzerland (1999 to 2005): The inter-specific grape cultivars Cabernet Cortis, Cabernet Carol, Cabernet Carbon, Prior and Monarch, bred by the Research Institute for Viticulture in Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany), have been tested since 1999 on the experimental vineyard of Agroscope RAC Changins at Pully (Lake Geneva region, Switzerland). The five cultivars have shown a high resistance against downy mildew. On the other hand, their sensitivity to powdery mildew is as high or higher than that of the reference Vitis vinifera Pinot noir, particularly for the cultivar Cabernet Cortis. Depending on the disease pressure, the use of fungicides can be necessary to produce healthy grapes. Cabernet Carol is highly sensitive to powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot and bunch stem necrosis, and therefore could not be used to make wine. Cabernet Cortis, ripening relatively early, and Cabernet Carbon, ripening late, produce colourful and tannic wines with vegetal characters. Prior and Monarch, ripening slightly later than Pinot noir, also produce polyphenol-rich wines with an interesting fruity character. Overall, Prior shows the best overall qualities.

Wine Character - colour: intense red
- bouquet: light, fruity
- palate: rich in tannins, good structure. Flavour is not like Pinot or Cabernet.

Time of bud-burst: a little later than avearge, up to 7 days later than Pinot Noir

Strength of growth: medium, upright, similar to Pinot Noir
Growth of side-shoots: average

Flowering time: average, slightly later than Pinot Noir
Flowering strength: high to very high

Leaf: - size:                                  - shape: 3 to 5 lobed
        - colour: dark green
        - surface undulation:                - petiolar sinus:

Grape bunch: - size: medium-large, nearly 3-cornered                      - density:
Berries:        - size: medium, similar to the traditional Pinot Noir    - shape:
                   - skin colour:

Time of veraison: slightly later than Pinot Noir
Time of harvest: 7 to 10 days later than Pinot Noir

Grape yield: slightly lower than Pinot Noir
Must-weight: similar to Pinot Noir
Must-acidity: similar to Pinot Noir

Wood ripening: good to very good
Winter hardiness: good
Wood colour:

Chlorosis resistance:
Resistance against - Oidium: high but can sometimes be quite poor
                       - Peronospora: very high
                       - Botrytis: very low                 - Roter Brenner:
                       - Phomopsis:                          - Stem-atrophy: high

Preferred soil:
Suitable rootstocks:

Normal stem height:
Normal row spacing:
Vine spacing in the row:

Winter Pruning: eyes/buds per sq. metre of land occupied by the plant.

Advantages:

Disadvantages: In most years it needs protective spraying against powdery mildew.
Due to it's disease resistance the bunches can be left longer on the vine than Pinot Noir.