Publication 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

(2022/C 397/12)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within two months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Terras do Navia’

PGI-ES-02787

Date of application: 23.7.2021

1. Name to be registered

Terras do Navia

2. Geographical indication type

PGI – Protected geographical indication

3. Categories of grapevine products

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

1. White wines

CONCISE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION

In general, these wines are fresh and smooth in the mouth, clear and bright with bold aromas, giving a good sense of the grapes from which they are made. They have moderate alcoholic strength, floral and fruity aromas and a well-balanced acidity.

The white wines are yellow in colour with greenish tones. They have intense aromas of flowers and ripe fresh fruit and are well structured, generous and fresh in the mouth, with hints of citrus.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 11,5 Minimum total acidity 5,0 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 17,9 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 200

2. Red wines

CONCISE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION

In general, these wines are fresh and smooth in the mouth, clear and bright with bold aromas, giving a good sense of the grapes from which they are made. They have moderate alcoholic strength, floral and fruity aromas and a well-balanced acidity.

The red wines are of a medium to deep red colour with violet tints. They have aromas of ripe fruit (blackberries, cherries, fruits of the strawberry tree and cranberries) and a taste predominantly of red fruits, with a slightly tannic finish. A good balance between alcoholic strength and acidity makes these wines suitable for ageing in wooden barrels.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 10 Minimum total acidity 5,0 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 17,9 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 150

5. Wine making practices

(a) Essential oenological practices

1.

Cultivation method

The grapes must be harvested using harvesting crates or other containers authorised by the competent authority.

2.

Specific oenological practice

The maximum production yield of the wine is 68 litres for every 100 kilograms of grapes.

(b) Maximum yields

1. WHITE VARIETIES

10 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

2.

68 hectolitres per hectare

3. RED VARIETIES

8 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

4.

54,40 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

The grapes used to make the wines may come only from vineyards in the production and processing area, which comprises land that is suitable for grape production. The area is spread across the parishes of Cereixido, Lamas de Moreira, Monteseiro, San Martiño de Suarna, Vilabol de Suarna and Vilar da Cuiña in the municipality of A Fonsagrada; the parishes of A Pobra de Navia, Barcia, Castañedo, Muñís, Mosteiro and A Ribeira in the municipality of Navia de Suarna; and the whole municipality of Negueira de Muñiz. The entire territory is located in the province of Lugo, in the Autonomous Community of Galicia.

In the legal system of the Autonomous Community of Galicia, parishes are recognised local territorial units forming the basic subdivisions of a municipality. Their map boundaries are accurate and well established.

7. Main wine grapes variety(ies)

Albarín blanco – Branco lexítimo

Albariño

Brancellao

Bruñal – Albarín tinto

Caíño blanco

Caíño tinto

Godello

Loureira – Loureiro blanco

Loureiro tinto

Mencía

Merenzao – María ordoña

Torrontés

Treixadura

8. Description of the link(s)

The application to register this geographical indication is based on the specific quality of the wines, which is linked to the geographical environment of production, as set out below.

The climate of the demarcated area can be classified as maritime, transitioning towards a Mediterranean climate, with low average annual temperatures. July and August are the warmest months, with an average temperature of 21 oC, significant temperature variation between night and day and particularly dry summers, giving rise to a more Mediterranean type of climate, as evidenced by the widespread presence of species such as strawberry and cork trees. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 7,5 oC. According to the closest weather stations, the annual estimated rainfall at an altitude of 450 metres above sea level is 650 millimetres.

Within the demarcated area, almost the entire land surface dedicated to winegrowing is situated at 200-500 metres above sea level, and the land nestles among mountains rising more than 1 000 metres above sea level. The mainly south and south-west-facing vineyards are protected by the slopes of the Ancares, the Uría mountains and the Acebo mountains to the north, which form an important barrier against sea breezes.

Most of the soils are moderately acidic and permeable, with low water-retention capacity and limited organic-matter content in their uppermost layer. The majority of these are old soils with sufficient depth and good sunlight exposure, making them suitable for winegrowing.

In terms of geology, the Navia basin is made up of metasediments dating from the Lower Palaeozoic era, with a predominance of sandy rocks and schist. The lithological substrate is mostly composed of slate, quartzite and granite outcrops dating from the Hercynian period, and slightly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. There is a moderate proportion of coarse elements, making the soils highly permeable and easy to work. They are light in texture, the most common types being loamy or sandy-loamy, with good drainage and sufficient aeration.

In general the wines are clear and bright, fresh and smooth with floral and fruity aromas, and with moderate alcoholic strength balanced with acidity. The white wines are yellow in colour with greenish tones. They have pronounced aromas of flowers and ripe fresh fruit and are structured, generous and fresh in the mouth, with a citrus finish. The red wines are of a medium to deep red colour with violet tints. They have aromas of ripe fruit and a taste predominantly of red fruits, with a slightly tannic finish.

These wines are an accurate reflection of the effects of the temperature, rainfall and growing conditions in the area. Added to this is the human factor, which is defined by:

— the planting of vines in areas with good exposure, with soils that are warm, permeable and low in organic matter, as is typical of this geographic area. The traditional training and pruning methods used low goblet-trained vines. This, along with a wooden support and medium planting density, allows them to adapt better to the local environment, resulting in balanced, harmonious wines that have an excellent aromatic expression and good keeping qualities;

— the choice of locally adapted native varieties, all of which are difficult to find in other wine-growing areas. Branco Lexítimo deserves a special mention as it reaches its fullest potential in this area. Its balanced acidity and alcohol content, with an abundance of terpenes, gives the white wines their high intensity and aromatic quality. The grape that stands out among the red varieties, even though it does not have the largest planted area, is the Merenzao. The location allows it to reach its fullest potential, producing wines that have a high colour intensity while retaining their finesse, with a very stable acidity, a good balance between malic and tartaric acid, an appropriate alcoholic strength and a high quantity of anthocyanins;

— the use of harvesting crates or other containers authorised by the competent authority, which is essential to preserve the quality of the grapes during transport from the vineyard to the winery, thus reducing the risk of uncontrolled maceration or fermentation affecting the organoleptic qualities of the wines.

As regards the influence of the natural growing environment, a factor worth mentioning is the area’s maritime climate, transitioning towards Mediterranean, with particularly dry summers and significant temperature variation between night and day. This has a direct effect on the accumulation of secondary metabolites that influence the quality of the berry, such as phenolic and volatile compounds that help shape the colour, aroma and taste, and thus the quality, of the grapes and the wine.

Moreover, during the growing season temperatures are relatively high in this area due to good sunlight exposure, and this has a very positive effect on photosynthesis, which in turn increases the sugar content of the grapes. The area is also characterised by a considerable variation in temperature, which facilitates the accumulation of anthocyanins and terpenes in the berry.

The exposure and orientation of the slopes is a crucial factor in that they allow vines to be grown in difficult climatic conditions and improve the quality of the harvest. In the geographical area a south / south-west orientation is ideal in terms of the quality of the grapes and the wine. There is also the beneficial effect of the mountains, which form a barrier protecting the area from sea breezes.

The altitude at which vines are grown is also important, in as far as high altitudes are linked to low air temperatures that influence the phenolic ripeness of the berry.

In terms of soil the ideal conditions for growing vines are deep, well-drained soils with moderate fertility and a moderate water-retention capacity, which correspond to the conditions in this area. The soils are also acidic, and the vine varieties grown in the area are well adapted to this type of soil.

In short, the particular qualities of wines from this area are the result of the centuries-old expertise of local winegrowers, who over the years have selected the vine varieties best adapted to this particular natural environment and developed the most suitable growing techniques. The vine varieties covered by this PGI, which are traditionally grown in the production area but much less widespread in other wine-growing areas, thus give the wines produced from them specific quality characteristics and distinctive properties. Various studies carried out on the varieties in question have shown that they have a high aromatic potential, characterised by terpenes, in particular in the case of the white varieties.

9. Essential further conditions

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Packaging within the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

The wines must be produced and bottled in the demarcated geographical area of production. Transporting and bottling the wine outside the wine-making area would compromise its quality, as it could be exposed to oxidation and reduction, variations in temperature and other influences. The further the wine is transported, the greater the risk. Bottling in the area of origin allows the product’s characteristics and quality to be preserved. This, combined with the experience and in-depth knowledge of the wines’ particular qualities, built up over the years by local producers, makes it necessary to bottle the wines in the area of origin, thus preserving all their physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics.

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

All the bottles must bear a numbered certification label, provided by the control authority, which must be affixed in the winery itself. This label must include the geographical indication logo.

Link to the product specification

https://mediorural.xunta.gal/sites/default/files/produtos/en-tramitacion/Pliego-Condiciones-Terras-do-Navia-mayo_2022.pdf

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