CuveE^ Recreating Dank Chocolate

subcool

Well-Known Member
To Make two things that are good into something exceptional is the simple translation although in French it is much sexier. The strain was originally created in 2014 in Northern California. I had bought property in Sonoma County a little three-acre piece on top of a nice hill near Napa and I met Frenchy Canoli who gave me a cut of Pinot Noir a clone only F4 cross of Original Blackberry and Vintage 1978 Pakistani.

One of my favorite strains mainly due to her amazing taste but the high isn’t bad either (22%THC) but the complexity of enjoyment this strain provides cant be summed up in a THC number. I must give credit to TCcurtiss who I have lost contact with but who introduced me to Frenchy Cannoli. Frenchy as many of Weedworld Readers will know is extremely passionate about hash and he gave me a cutting of the Pinot and I grew it out and loved it. I knew I could add more resin and maybe a bit of flavor by crossing her to Vic High’s Space Queen my most prolific male plant, everything he touches gets better Like when we took Purple Urkle and made Querkle. I did a side by side for over a year and in every poll Querkle was chosen by visual resin production. When we grew out the first Cuvee’ seeds we were impressed with the rich thick cocoa smell that stood out early and got more and more like a deep chocolate mixed with currants or something, very exotic. I grew her a second time and then a third when I devoted my entire outdoor garden to the strain in 2017. All my life I have chased flavors first Lemon then lime, orange was something I chased and cherry and strawberry and watermelon. Most of these terps are fairly common but chocolate was something completely different. Cuvee is not that staggeringly potent but the complex taste and cannabinoid profile is just pleasing. Then there is the resin I mean it dumps caramel flavored trichomes all over hash screens, trim bins and bubble bags like no other. With skill producing a off white hash that fades to a golden color like caramel. Both Frenchy and the famous Water hash maker Mr. Bond ran some of my outdoor just before the cobb fire destroyed my home in California.

Nights before the fire Frenchy was at my home and I tried to give him a cut of Cuvee as the one he was holding had some issues. He said in his thick accent “My friend Subcool I can’t I am staying overnight in San Francisco. A few days later Leo Stone of Aficionado Seeds was at my home and he is the person who gave Frenchy the cut. He to was not headed back up to Humboldt and said he would grab it another time.

We never got the chance and now his obligation to return the cut to me changed. The world of breeding and seeds changed fast to and things became extremely competitive so I could not reproduce Cuvee in original seed form any longer. I reached out and fans returned seeds to me they had acquired online. The first 5 pack had 2 broken seeds in a broken vial (we now use plastic) so I started 3 and got one female plant. This IMO is where the story gets interesting, I grow many strains in my current caregiver garden and there all amazing but the Cuvee quickly stood out again for resin production and happily a Chocolate female in just 3 seeds. I cloned her and the 6 plants just kicked complete ass in my garden and provided these amazing shots.

Insert Cuvee NEF.

I spent the last year working with Badger to map the line and document the different traits of each female and male and with 50 seeds we sourced from all over the world we went to work finding the perfect female and male plant for a Cuvee2 project. The keeper mom has great resin that classic chocolate taste and some decent girth to her colas. The slight Cherry or sweet fruit trait I love so much carry’s over as well. For testing we grew out an original pack or Cuvee next to the f2. The offspring had the same classic leaf shape and over all structure as the mom and during testing in Veg if we mixed up the tags it was impossible to tell the two strains apart. Shorter stocky plants with wide heavily serrated leaf edges were a tale tell sign we were on the right track. After sexing and topping all the plants were placed in bloom under a 1000 Watt Hortilux HPS lamp to flower out. I specifically hid the tags from myself and as they started budding, I could only see small differences like you would from seed. Every female was a keeper IMO even the spindliest Sativa girl packed on resin from week 6 on.

I was so happy with the results I took pics every few days and keep in mind I had to lift each of the 7-foot plants outs the pool and carry them into the studio and then back. I wore my helpers back out documenting the different females. I was extremely pleased with the results.

Our Next step in the re-release of Cuvee is letting 10 proven testers grow them out. Over the last few years I have developed a team of growers who are also excellent photographers and note takers and they help me prove results when releasing a new strain. We have Always tested or gear and one negative report from a tested grower can end a project quickly. Things we track during the testing phase, germination rates, structure and symmetry of a pack of seeds and the growers notes on ease of growing. Of course, we look for germ traits and mutations but the most important data was did a grower love the strains and would he grow it again. For me the quality photographs I require help me see how a strain performs and I also use the best photos to promote the release.


This is the Template we use for each tester:

Example!

Phenotypes: We had two phenos one that was taller with strong diesel / grape flavor & the shorter one with earthy /musky aroma.


Height: Medium Height Stretches 2X


Yield: Medium with super dense flowers formations.


Best way to Grow: Top Early to shape, cage or bamboo for support needed.


Harvest: 8-9 weeks


Sativa/ Indica 50/50


High Type: Motivating / Relaxing / Pain Relief / Stimulating


Taste / Aroma Diesel / Grapes / Musty / Earthy


Photo Example attached


Using this date from multiple growers using multiple methods and environments I can get a good idea of how the strain performs overall. When we can we get samples to test labs to collect Potency and Terpene profiles. Some of my testers have gone on to become somewhat infamously famous outlaw reporters like Team Terpene, Ocanabis Grower and Tanasiegrower.

Stay tuned for the results if I did my job well you will see photos of Cuvee 2 popping up on Instagram and Growboards.


Subcool

The Weed Nerd
 

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Skidmarx

Well-Known Member
Great timing Sc, Cuvee just entered my radar. Well put together and explained. Thank you.
 

Thundercat

Well-Known Member
I love the heritage behind this! I remember reading about the pinot noir from Frenchy so many years ago, so its awesome seeing it make its way to the world again! I look forward to the release, I don't run many new genetics(and as it happens I"ve never gotten to run and TGA or subcool gear) but the chance to have some of the noir heritage is very appealing so I'll have to try them.
 
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