COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 16 June 2017

on the publication in the Official Journal of the European Union of a request for amendment of a specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Dealurile Zarandului (PGI))

(2017/C 197/04)

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:

Romania has sent an application for amendment of the specification for the name ‘Dealurile Zarandului’ in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

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

In order to allow for the presentation of statements of opposition in accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the application for amendment of the specification for the name ‘Dealurile Zarandului’ should be published in the Official Journal of the European Union,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The application for amendment of the specification for the name ‘Dealurile Zarandului’ (PGI), in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, is contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the publication of this Decision confers the right to oppose the amendment of the specification referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within two months of the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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

ANNEX

APPLICATION FOR A NEW AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

‘DEALURILE ZARANDULUI’

PGI-RO-A0031-AM01

Date of submission: 28.5.2015

1. Rules Applicable to the Amendment

Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 — Non-minor amendment

2. Description and reasons for the amendment

2.1. Amendment to the demarcated area

The area demarcated for the production of wines with the geographical indication ‘Dealurile Zarandului’, which stretches across Arad County, is to be extended to include the localities Zăbrani, Neudorf, Frumuşeni, Cruceni, Fiscut, Firiteaz, Hunedoara Timişană, Dud and Agrişu Mare. The configuration of the final geographical area for which protection of wines with the geographical indication is requested will therefore be as follows:

Arad County, Miniș-Măderat vineyard, with the following wine-growing centres:

Miniș, localities:

— Lipova town (Lipova and Radna localities)

— Zăbrani (Zăbrani and Neudorf villages)

— Frumușeni (Frumușeni village)

— Păuliș (Păuliș and Barațca villages)

— Ghioroc (Miniș, Ghioroc and Cuvin villages)

— Covăsânț (Covăsânț village)

Măderat, localities:

— Șiria (Șiria, Galșa and Mâsca villages)

— Pâncota town (Pâncota locality and Măderat village)

— Târnova (Târnova, Dud, Agrişu Mare and Drauţ villages)

— Ineu town (Ineu locality and Mocrea village)

— Șilindia (Șilindia, Satu Mic and Luguzău villages)

Dealul Viilor, localities:

— Șagu (Șagu, Cruceni, Fiscut, Firiteaz and Hunedoara Timișană villages)

Dorobanți, localities:

— Curtici (Dorobanți village)

The white wines obtained around Lipova, Zăbrani and Neudorf have the typical minerality and flavour of wines from the southern part of the Miniș-Măderat vineyard area. Due to the abundance of the harvests, they have relatively high acidity, which is slightly lower at first contact, and well-shaped primary aromas. In contrast, the red wines maintain the special depth of colour characteristic of the entire Miniș-Măderat vineyard area: a purplish hint against a dark but brilliant ruby-red background. The wines are extractive. According to ONVPV statistics for 2012, 2013 and 2014, the dry extract content of white wines may reach levels of up to 19-20 g/l (Sauvignon), while for red wines it can go up to 27,55 g/l (Cabernet Sauvignon). Wines produced in the northern part of the region (Dud, Agrișu Mare, Luguzău) are finer and have a more pronounced acidity, due to the same marked extractivity: 19,44 g/l for white wines (Pinot gris and Sauvignon) and 27,63 g/l for red wines (Merlot).

A description of the wines produced in the localities extending the area provides an explanation for their analytical and organoleptic specificities. A comparative analysis of wines produced from several varieties cultivated in both the old area and in the recently included localities over the last four harvest years shows that: the natural alcoholic strength of the Mustoasă de Măderat variety ranges from 11,76-12,30 % alcohol, total acidity 6,0 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 18,15-19,85 g/l; the natural alcoholic strength of the Riesling Italian variety ranges from 10,60-12,35 % alcohol, total acidity 5,20-6,30 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 17,20-21,10 g/l; the natural alcoholic strength of the Merlot variety ranges from 12,50-13,00 % alcohol, total acidity 6,10-6,50 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 24,65-27,55 g/l; and the natural alcoholic strength of the Cabernet Sauvignon variety ranges from 12,20-12,60 % alcohol, total acidity 4,70-6,69 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 20,63-24,75 g/l. Significant similarities in terms of freshness and fruitiness were found in white varieties cultivated in the Lipova, Radna, Zăbrani, Neudorf, Păuliş and Baraţca localities. Strikingly similar secondary flavours are observed in white varieties of wine from plantations in the Şagu, Cruceni, Fiscut, Firiteaz, Hunedoara Timişană and Frumuşeni localities. The brown chernozem soil yields wines which are extractive, full bodied and full of taste in the Şilindia, Satu Mic, Luguzău, Dud and Agrişu Mare localities. It is no coincidence that vines have been cultivated on these lands since ancient times.

A combination of a poor understanding of European policy on the protection of areas demarcated by a geographical indication and a lack of wine producers' associations at the time Romania joined the European Union resulted in some localities with ancient traditions of producing specific quality wines being omitted from the Dealurile Zarandului area.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name(s) to be registered

Dealurile Zarandului

2. Geographical indication type

PGI — Protected geographical indication

3. Categories of grapevine products

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

Analytical and organoleptic characteristics

— total and actual alcoholic strength: not less than 10 % by volume

— total acidity (tartaric acid): not less than 4,5 g/l;

— volatile acidity (acetic acid): not more than 1,2 g/l

— non-reducing dry extract: not less than 17 g/l,

— total sulphur dioxide: not more than 300 mg/l

— free sulphur dioxide: not more than 60 mg/l

1. Muscat Ottonel:

— Appearance: clear, bright

— Colour: straw-yellow or intense yellow, depending on the quality of the grapes when harvested

— Nose: delicate floral hints, typical muscat aroma from harvests in the northern part of the vineyard

— Taste: typical muscat taste, with a pleasant velvety hint. Requires acidity correction.

2. Traminer roz:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: yellowish-green

— Nose: aroma of rose petals, especially from harvests in the area of the Păuliş locality

— Taste: specific, of freshly mown hay

3. Sauvignon:

— Appearance: clear, pleasant

— Colour: pale yellow with greenish highlights

— Nose: of vine flowers

— Taste: fruity, pleasantly acid, harmonious

4. Pinot Gris:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-white, with slightly yellowish highlights

— Nose: summer apple

— Taste: full, with a hint of baked bread crust

5. Feteasca regala:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-yellow

— Nose: sourish summer apple aroma, reflecting the high mineral content of the skeletal soil

— Taste: full-flavoured, well-shaped, embodying the distinctiveness of the northern part of the vineyard

6. Feteasca alba:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-yellow

— Nose: apple and vine flowers

— Taste: pleasant, well-shaped, typical

7. Riesling italian:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-white

— Nose: no specific primary aroma

— Taste: full-flavoured, winy, very fresh, pleasantly acid

8. Riesling de Rhin:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-white, typical

— Nose: no marked primary aroma

— Taste: winy, fresh, pleasantly acid

9. Chardonnay:

— Appearance: clear, translucent

— Colour: golden yellow

— Nose: aroma of acacia blossom and mown hay

— Taste: pleasant, floral, with a soft acidity

10. Mustoasă de Măderat

— Appearance: clear, pleasant

— Colour: greenish-yellow, like a slice of lemon, suggestive of a slightly sour taste

— Nose: unripe green apple, with notes of vine blossom, especially in areas where production is lower than the standard for the variety

— Taste: fresh, refreshing, lively, owing to high acidity, especially in areas with significant levels of production

11. Furmint:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-white, with pale yellow highlights

— Nose: primary aroma of tropical fruits

— Taste: pleasant, like a succulent tropical fruit, original

12. Furmint de Miniş:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: greenish-white, with lemon yellow highlights

— Nose: aroma of tropical fruits

— Taste: pleasant, fresh, redolent of a succulent tropical fruit, typical

13. Cabernet Sauvignon:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: intense ruby-red, with strong bluish highlights when made from grapes harvested in the area from Covăsânţ to Lipova, which is favourable to red varieties

— Nose: distinct aroma of wild vegetation and of grass

— Taste: as a young wine, it is too coarse, tannic, stalky, and even undrinkable; it requires a minimum of 2 years of barrel maturation. Improves with maturation, becoming pleasantly velvety, round and mellow. Its higher acidity as compared to other vineyards and the generous extract increase its durability, ensuring freshness over time.

14. Merlot:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: ruby-red, bright, with hints of terracotta after ageing

— Nose: pleasant aroma of fruits of the forest, wild raspberry, acquiring notes of oak and vanilla as a result of maturing

— Taste: astringency is more moderate than in Cabernet Sauvignon; it has the velvety texture specific to this variety, and acquires an attractive bouquet through ageing

15. Pinot noir:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: dark cherry-red, bright

— Nose: an aroma that changes from cherry to strawberry as the wine ages

— Taste: velvety, delicate, complex and refined, constant, especially in the south of the vineyard

16. Fetească neagră:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: intense garnet red

— Nose: complex, original aroma, with an authentic floral note

— Taste: well-shaped, pleasant and sufficiently full-bodied, palatable and attractive

17. Burgund Mare

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: intense garnet red with hints of purple, the standard colour being found in harvests in the area from Covăsânţ to Lipova

— Nose: aroma of ripe forest fruits: blackberries and blueberries

— Taste: balanced, consistent, non-aggressive

18. Syrah:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: bright red

— Nose: floral bouquet, with very intense spicy aromas

— Taste: consistent, with notes of figs and a fine astringency

19. Novac:

— Appearance: clear, transparent

— Colour: intense ruby-red, with purplish highlights

— Nose: bouquet of blueberries and spicy black pepper aromas

— Taste: well-integrated tannin, consistent, with a fine acidity

20. Portugais bleu:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: intense brick red

— Nose: bouquet of red fruits, gooseberries and redcurrants

— Taste: smooth, slightly tannic, with a fine acidity; harvested first, it maintains its typical character especially in the area specific to red varieties

21. Sangiovese

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: cherry red

— Nose: bouquet of ripe berries and grapes, well-shaped in harvests from the north of the vineyard

— Taste: tannic, with a fine acidity, lively, light

22. Cadarcă:

— Appearance: clear

— Colour: bright red

— Nose: aroma of forest fruits

— Taste: velvety, slightly acidic and with a fine astringency

General analytical characteristics

Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 10 Minimum total acidity 4,5 g per litre, expressed as tartaric acid Maximum volatile acidity (in grams per litre) 1,2 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 300

5. Wine making practices

a. Essential oenological practices

Oenological practices

Relevant restriction on making the wines

The natural alcoholic strength may be supplemented only subject to the conditions provided for by law. The total natural alcoholic strength expressed in % alcohol by volume may only be increased:

a) by adding concentrated grape must or rectified concentrated grape must in the case of fresh grapes, partially fermented grape must or new wine still in fermentation;

b) by adding concentrated grape must or rectified concentrated grape must or by partial concentration including reverse osmosis in the case of grape must.

The addition of sucrose is not permitted in the production of wines with the geographical indication ‘Dealurile Zarandului’.

b. Maximum yields

Grape production: Fetească regală, Mustoasă de Măderat, Portugais bleu, and Sangiovese varieties

15 000 kg of grapes per hectare

Grape production: Furmint, Furmint de Miniş, Riesling de Rhin, Riesling italian, Merlot, Fetească neagră, and Novac varieties

12 500 hl per hectare

Grape production: Burgund mare, Cadarcă, Fetească albă varieties

12 500 hl per hectare

Grape production: Muscat Ottonel, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Traminer roz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, and Syrah varieties

10 000 hl per hectare

Wine production, white wines

95 hl per hectare

Wine production, red, rosé, flavoured wines

85 hl per hectare

6. Demarcated area

Arad County, Miniș-Măderat vineyard, centres:

Miniș, localities:

— Lipova town (Lipova and Radna)

— Zăbrani (Zăbrani and Neudorf villages)

— Frumușeni (Frumușeni village)

— Păuliș (Păuliș and Barațca villages)

— Ghioroc (Miniș, Ghioroc and Cuvin villages)

— Covăsânț (Covăsânț village)

Măderat, localities:

— Șiria (Șiria, Galșa and Mâsca villages)

— Pâncota town (Pâncota and Măderat village)

— Târnova (Târnova, Dud, Agrişu Mare and Drauţ villages)

— Ineu town (Ineu and Mocrea village)

— Șilindia (Șilindia, Satu Mic and Luguzău villages)

Dealul Viilor, localities:

— Șagu (Șagu, Cruceni, Fiscut, Firiteaz and Hunedoara Timișană villages)

Dorobanți, localities:

— Curtici (Dorobanți village)

7. Maine wine grapes

Cadarcă N

Burgund Mare N

Pinot Gris G

Fetească neagră N

Muscat Ottonel B

Cabernet Sauvignon N

Sauvignon B

Merlot N

Fetească regală B

Fetească albă B

Furmint de Miniş B

Furmint B

Chardonnay B

Novac N

Mustoasă de Măderat B

Syrah N

Sangiovese N

Traminer Roz Rs

Riesling italian B

Riesling de Rhin B

Portugais Bleu N

Pinot Noir N

8. Description of the link(s)

Link with the demarcated area

The specific natural factor is provided by the Zarand foothills, which are characterised by skeletal soils rich in iron and microelements. These recesses between hills provide a variety of topoclimatic conditions, specific to individual vineyards in this area, in conditions that are similar in terms of geoclimatic position and variety cultivated.

The vine plantations have a predominantly southern exposure, with some exceptional south-western and south-eastern exposures. As a result, different individual vineyards, located at the same latitude and longitude and cultivating the same variety of grape, are distinguished from one another by a variety of topoclimatic characteristics. The steep terraced slopes used for the cultivation of vines break up and limit the force of winds and cold air currents. During calm weather, the heating of the slopes ensures a gentle circulation of air, which is favourable to the plants' physiological processes and to bringing out the qualities of the grape berries. The slopes prevent stagnation of excess water, aiding the heating of the soil and preventing grey mould colonisation.

The microclimate, with its Mediterranean influences, results in early, wet springs and long, warm, dry autumns. Ecoclimatic data: annual average temperature: 11,2 °C, total annual precipitation: 644 mm, total active temperatures: 3 291 °C, total sunshine hours: 1 490, total active precipitation: 365 mm. The ten-year average for relative humidity is around 75 %. The wines obtained from skeletal, ferruginous soils have a bright red colour with deep ruby highlights and are very generous and expressive.

An organoleptic assessment of the wines produced on the Zarand foothills reveals a high colouring intensity in the red varieties, with strong bluish highlights in young wines that turn to brick-red as the wines mature. From an astringent tannic taste when young, the wine becomes balanced, firm, pleasant, full-bodied and velvety as it ages.

The white wines obtained around Lipova, Zăbrani and Neudorf have the typical minerality and flavour of wines from the southern part of the Miniș-Măderat vineyard area. Due to the abundance of the harvests, they have relatively high acidity, which is slightly lower at first contact, and well-shaped primary aromas. In contrast, the red wines maintain the special depth of colour characteristic of the entire Miniș-Măderat vineyard area: a purplish hint against a dark but brilliant ruby-red background. The wines are extractive. According to ONVPV statistics for 2012, 2013 and 2014, the dry extract content of white wines may reach levels of up to 19-20 g/l (Sauvignon), while for red wines it can go up to 27,55 g/l (Cabernet Sauvignon). Wines produced in the northern part of the region (Dud, Agrișu Mare, Luguzău) are finer and have a more pronounced acidity, due to the same marked extractivity: 19,44 g/l for white wines (Pinot gris and Sauvignon) and 27,63 g/l for red wines (Merlot).

A description of the wines produced in the localities extending the area provides an explanation for their analytical and organoleptic specificities. A comparative analysis of wines produced from several varieties cultivated in both the old area and in the recently included localities over the last four harvest years shows that: the natural alcoholic strength of the Mustoasă de Măderat variety ranges from 11,76-12,30 % alcohol, total acidity 6,0 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 18,15-19,85 g/l; the natural alcoholic strength of the Riesling Italian variety ranges from 10,60-12,35 % alcohol, total acidity 5,20-6,30 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 17,20-21,10 g/l; the natural alcoholic strength of the Merlot variety ranges from 12,50-13,00 % alcohol, total acidity 6,10-6,50 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 24,65-27,55 g/l; and the natural alcoholic strength of the Cabernet Sauvignon variety ranges from 12,20-12,60 % alcohol, total acidity 4,70-6,69 g/l tartaric acid, total dry extract 20,63-24,75 g/l. Significant similarities in terms of freshness and fruitiness were found in white varieties cultivated in the Lipova, Radna, Zăbrani, Neudorf, Păuliş and Baraţca localities. Strikingly similar secondary flavours are observed in white varieties of wine from plantations in the Şagu, Cruceni, Fiscut, Firiteaz, Hunedoara Timişană and Frumuşeni localities. The brown chernozem soil produces wines which are extractive, full bodied and full of taste in the Şilindia, Satu Mic, Luguzău, Dud and Agrişu Mare localities. It is no coincidence that vines have been cultivated on these lands since ancient times.

9. Essential further conditions

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

No additional provisions.

10. Link to the product specification

http://www.onvpv.ro/sites/default/files/caiet_de_sarcini_ig_dealurile_zarandului_modif_cf_notif_133_2016_accept_changes_18032016.pdf