In order to test the importance of the "genotype" factor on the expression of aromatic characteristics in Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 clonal selections of the variety, of which 9 were French selections (15, 188, 190, 335, 336, 337, 338, 340, 341) and 3 Italian (R5, R7, R10), were examined. The vines were cultivated on a gravely soil in the "Friuli Grave" AVA zone (Friuli-Venezia Giulia). During the vegetative season, the main vine vegeto-productive parameters (number of buds, middle weight of bunch, middle weight of plant, number of grapes per plant, weight of pruned wood, Ravaz index and diameter of berry) were investigated, as was the methoxypyrazine content, which is a notorious characteristic of the variety responsible for the vegetable aromas of the wine. The analysis of the above factors clearly distinguished the behaviour of the Italian selection R5, which had a different accumulation of sugars and acidity level in comparison with all the other clonal families. It was also confirmed that the genotype has an effect on the methoxypyrazine content at maturation.
