Clone selection does have some influence, but have you considered:

Not sure about zin clones for late harvest wine, but the fall rains will
have a large impact on bunch rot (zin having very tight clusters
promotes this), and the summer night time temperatures will make or
break your acid balance and pH, so where you live is a strong
consideration. You want cool (50-ish deg F) night time temperature for
best acid balance.

On the Syrah (and reds in general), the pepperiness has a lot to do with
picking the grapes at a specific ripeness when the pyrazines are at a
maximum (typically 23.5 to 24 deg Brix). If you let the fruit mature
more (25-26 deg Brix) you get past the pepperiness and into the ripe
fruity/jammy flavors. Also, the winemaking style (fermentation
temperature and yeast selection) have major impact on fruitiness of the
wine. Cooler fermentation promotes fruitiness.

Gene

Elpac Eparg wrote:
> I'm interested in planting Syrah, Barbera and Zinfandel and I'm trying
> to find specific info on clonal characteristics with no avail.
> Suggestions? I'm looking for a Syrah clone with a more fruit forward
> approach (Australian) as opposed to the French peppery approach. Also
> looking for Zin that's more likely to result in a good late harvest
> wine if conditions are appropriate.
>