COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 12 July 2017

on the publication in the Official Journal of the European Union of the single document referred to in Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and of the reference to the publication of the product specification for a name in the wine sector (Skalický rubín (PDO))

(2017/C 224/04)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 97(3) thereof,

Whereas:

Slovakia has sent an application for protection of the name ‘Skalický rubín’ in accordance with Section 2 of Chapter I of Title II of Part II of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

In accordance with Article 97(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 the Commission has examined that application and concluded that the conditions laid down in Articles 93 to 96, Article 97(1), and Articles 100, 101 and 102 of that Regulation are met.

In order to allow for the submission of statements of objection in accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the single document referred to in Article 94(1)(d) of that Regulation and the publication reference of the product specification made in the course of the preliminary national procedure for examining the application for protection of the name ‘Skalický rubín’ should be published in the Official Journal of the European Union,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The single document established in accordance with Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and the reference to the publication of the product specification for the name ‘Skalický rubín’ (PDO) are contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to object to the protection of the name specified in the first paragraph of this Article within two months from the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

ANNEX

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘SKALICKÝ RUBÍN’

PDO-SK-01899

Date of submission: 17.12.2014

1. Name(s)

Skalický rubín

2. Geographical indication type

PDO — Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine products

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

Skalický rubín

Skalický rubín is a red wine produced exclusively from the complete or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes of the Frankovka modrá, Svätovavrinecké and Modrý Portugal varieties only. This wine must be produced using only grapes grown on the precisely defined territory of the Vintoperk hill; the wine derives its character from the hill's characteristic soil composition. The wine is characterised by its full flavour, a high tannin content and by its colour, which provides the wine with its historic name.

Organoleptic characteristics:

Clarity— the wine must be clear with some sparkle, may include isolated fibres of filter medium, fine crystals of tartar, slight precipitation of pigment.

Colour— the wine must have a very intense ruby red colour; in older vintages, the colour may be less intense and have tinges of brown.

Aroma— typical, fruity, subtle tones at all times; at bottling maturity reminiscent of plums and plum jam.

Taste— clean, full-bodied and harmonious.

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) 15 Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 9,5 Minimum total acidity 3,5 meq/l Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 20 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 150

5. Wine making practices

a. Essential oenological practices

Skalický rubín

Specific oenological practice Common provisions:

100 % of the grapes used for the production of this wine must originate from the defined geographical area described in section 5 of the Single Document. Processing must take place in the defined area, so that the raw material used and the technical processing can be monitored. Bottling may take place outside the area, but only in the case of finished wine, which may not be further processed once it has left the plant in the area concerned.

Method for producing the wine:

The wine is a blend of the permitted varieties, and two different production methods are possible:

(a) The wine is produced by blending the relevant permitted types of wine, which are produced separately and blended after technological processing in the relevant proportion.

(b) The wine is produced by alcoholic fermentation from fresh grapes of the relevant permitted varieties.

For wine production, grapes must have a sugar content of at least 16 °NM at harvest. Grapes or grape must may be enriched to a maximum of 24 °NM, the enrichment of must being permitted under special rules (Regulation (EC) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council).

b. Maximum yields

Skalický rubín

18 000 kg of grapes per hectare

For the traditional term Akostné víno (quality wine)

17 500 kg of grapes per hectare

For the traditional term Akostné víno s prívlastkom (quality wine with attribute)

12 000 kg of grapes per hectare

6. Demarcated area

The geographical unit for the production of Skalický rubín is demarcated by the boundaries of the cadastral area of the city of Skalica and those of the cadastral areas of the municipalities of Mokrý Háj, Popudinské Močidľany, Prietržka, Radošovce and Vrádište. The geographical unit covers an area of about 50 km2.

7. Main wine grapes

Svätovavrinecké

Frankovka modrá

Modrý Portugal

8. Description of the link(s)

Skalický rubín

The area is located at the foot of the White Carpathians, where the Earth's crust is geologically deformed by the basin of the River Morava. The soil is largely chernozem (black earth), containing sand and clay, with a stony subsoil providing moisture. The area is characterised by heavy rainfall during spring, storms during the summer months and dry autumns. In recent years, average precipitation has been 565 mm/year. The average annual sunshine (1 857 hrs/yr) allows black grapes to ripen sufficiently.

The area's inhabitants have been using these conditions to cultivate grape vines since the 9th century, as confirmed by vine-growing implements in archaeological finds at Kopečnica.

The long, sunny autumns that make late harvesting possible through to the end of October allow a high degree of ripening in black grape varieties, which are subsequently processed in cellars located at or very close to the vineyard, thus minimising the time between the harvesting and processing of grapes and making possible their highly delicate processing into musts. They ferment on their skins, the average fermenting time being dictated by the climatic conditions in the cellars or by controlled fermentation techniques. The subsequent malolactic fermentation reduces the acid content, and the ageing of the wines for 12-18 months imparts a delicate fruity aroma and velvety taste to the resulting product.

In good years, the grapes are harvested with a high sugar content that makes it possible to produce wines with the attribute ‘výber z hrozna’ which are typically highly extractive with an ample bouquet. It is not permitted to modify the wine by ageing it in a barrique or by adding wood chips, or to produce ľadové vino (ice wine) or slamové víno (straw wine).

Even in a dry autumn, the vineyards' heavy clayey subsoil ensures that there is sufficient moisture for the vines so that the berries do not wither. In this area, the vines are grown in the most suitable positions, on the best sites, in small vineyards with different soil characteristics, gradients and directions of slope, which, after blending, ultimately lends stability to the resulting product. The wines are stored in the original subterranean cellars with their own natural climate and characteristic atmosphere.

The cellars are underground chambers built into the hillsides and are accessed via a wine-press room. They are mostly vaulted and located at a depth of 1,5-5 m, depending on the gradient of the slope into which they are built. This ensures that the temperature remains stable, in the 8 to 15 °C range, with a suitable and stable moisture level. There are about 2 000 such cellars throughout the geographical unit. Some are over 300 years old, but most of them date from the 20th century. They range in area from 15 m2 to several hundred square metres.

The geographical situation and the land's borderland location, and the material and social standing of the vineyard and cellar owners provided the basis for the development of Skalický rubín branded wine (značkové víno) in the 1920s.

The grapes ripen on average at 19 °NM, when they have an acid content of more than 6 g/l, which makes it possible to produce good-quality wines.

The traditional aspect of the name is borne out by the following facts:

Skalický rubín branded wine came into being in 1924, as evidenced by the publicity for it in Slovácko VII in 1965, where it is referred to in the section on vine cultivation in Skalica.

The designation Skalický rubín has been included on the Geneva-based WIPO register of designations of origin since 22 November 1967; it was on the Federal Office for Inventions register from 1974 and, since the break-up of the former Czechoslovakia, has been on the register kept by the Slovak Industrial Property Office.

The indication has also enjoyed protection under bilateral agreements: the Treaty between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Republic of Austria on the protection of indications of source, designations of origin and other designations referring to the source of agricultural and industrial products (1981); the Agreement between the Government of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Government of the Portuguese Republic on the protection of indications of source, appellations of origin and other geographical and similar designations (1987).

The wording of the indication was also included in several trademarks that were registered (under the national legislation in force at the time).

The traditional aspect of the name is also evidenced by the historical label from 1974.

All the aforementioned rights were acquired in relation to the wine and the designation of wine from the defined geographical area.

The name Skalický rubín is a compound name consisting of the geographical name Skalický and an additional term, rubín (ruby), referring to the colour of the wine. The geographical name is derived from the name of the town of Skalica and also from the name of the Skalický wine sub-region (Skalický vinohradnícky rajón), which is part of the Malokarpatská wine region (Malokarpatská vinohradnícká oblast). The division of wine regions into sub-regions has a historical basis and is enshrined in the relevant national legislation.

Wine is made from grapes with a sugar content of at least 16 °NM. The sugar content may be adjusted in accordance with the legislation in force. The vine bud load is left at such a level as to produce yields of no more than 18 t/ha. Most of the wine – almost 100 % of what is produced – is dry wine with a residual sugar content of up to 2 g/l. Because they may be enriched with sugar, their alcoholic strength may be as high as 15 % vol.

The loamy to loamy-clayey soils impart greater minerality to the wines; the average values for sugar-free extract are thus as high as 19,0 g/l.

9. Essential further conditions

Skalický rubín

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

Viticulture and Wine-Making Act No 313/2009, as amended.

The protected designation of origin as referred to in this specification may be used only in one of the following two variants:

Skalický rubín

SKALICKÝ RUBÍN

This specification does not stipulate the size or type of font to be used.

Link to the product specification

http://www.upv.sk/swift_data/source/pdf/specifikacie_op_oz/Skalicky%20rubin.pdf