Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to a product specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 17(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33

(2023/C 4/12)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1).

COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

‘Abadía Retuerta’

PDO-ES-02481-AM01

Date of communication: 11 October 2022

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

Amendment to the organoleptic description of the product

Description

The organoleptic description of the protected wines needs to be amended so that their characteristics can be linked to descriptors that can be assessed by a tasting panel meeting the criteria laid down in the UNE-EN-ISO 17025 standard.

This amendment concerns point 2(b) of the product specification and point 4 of the single document.

This is a standard amendment as it adapts the organoleptic characteristics so that they can be better assessed in sensory analysis in accordance with Standard 17025, and it does not entail a change to the product. The product retains the characteristics and profile described in the link, which result from the interplay between environmental and human factors. It is therefore considered that this amendment does not fall into any of the categories provided for in Article 14(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33.

Reason

When the application for registration of the PDO Abadía Retuerta was submitted, the sensory analysis in accordance with ISO Standard 17025 was less developed. It is now clear that some descriptions do not lend themselves to assessment by the accredited tasting panel. For example, it was said that the red wines should have a high or very high colour intensity. However, the tasting method includes only low, medium and high for colour intensity. Furthermore, for the white wines, it says that the aromas should have notes of exotic fruits. However, the term ‘exotic’ is not precise enough. For this reason, it has been decided to replace ‘exotic’ with ‘tropical and/or citrus’.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name(s)

Abadía Retuerta

2. Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine product

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

1. White wines

CONCISE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION

The white wines are clear and/or bright in appearance. Their colour ranges from straw yellow to greenish yellow or golden. The aromas include notes of stone fruits and/or orchard fruits and/or tropical and/or citrus fruits. They have balanced acidity with no sharpness in the mouth and a retronasal aroma that is reminiscent of stone fruits and/or orchard fruits and/or tropical and/or citrus fruits.

(*) For the analytical parameters not laid down in this document, the wines must comply with the EU legislation in force.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 12,0 Minimum total acidity 60,00 in milliequivalents per litre Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 16,7 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 200

2. Red wines

CONCISE TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION

The red wines have a clear and/or bright appearance, medium or high colour intensity, in shades ranging from violet to brick-red. The aromas include fruity notes of red and/or black fruits and, when matured in wooden barrels, balsamic and/or spiced and/or toasted notes. Finally, in the mouth they are structured wines, with length that is medium to long. Balanced alcohol-to-acidity ratio. Retronasal aroma of fruit together with aromas of ageing, where applicable.

(*) For the analytical parameters not laid down in this document, the wines shall comply with the EU legislation in force.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 12,0 Minimum total acidity 60,00 in milliequivalents per litre Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 16,7 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) 150

5. Wine-making practices

5.1. Specific oenological practices

1.

Cultivation practice

The vines are trained using the trellis or traditional gobelet pruning systems or variations thereof. The minimum density is 1 000 vines/ha and the maximum is 5 000 vines/ha.

2.

Specific oenological practice

— Single variety red wine is made exclusively from one of the authorised red varieties. Where red wines are made from more than one variety, each variety is separately made into wine with ‘coupage’ or blending of varieties taking place afterwards. Varieties can also be blended in a single vat before being made into wine. Maceration lasts between 6 and 30 days.

— Where white wines are made from more than one variety, each variety is separately made into wine with ‘coupage’ or blending of varieties taking place afterwards. Varieties can also be blended in a single vat before being made into wine. Blends of more than one variety must be made using the varieties authorised for white wine. Following a short period of maceration with the skins, the grapes are pressed and the must is cold-settled.

— Selected native yeast must be used in all cases.

— The rules on ageing duration are as follows: — Single variety red wine: ageing in oak barrels for at least 12 months. — Multi-variety red wine: ageing in oak barrels for at least 6 months. — Multi-variety white wine: maturing in steel tanks or ageing in oak barrels for at least 3 months.

3.

Restriction relating to winemaking

The maximum conversion factor of grapes into wine is 75 % (75 litres of wine for every 100 kg of grapes) for both the red and white varieties.

5.2. Maximum yields

1. 8 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

2. 60 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

The demarcated geographical area is part of the municipality of Sardón de Duero in the province of Valladolid, located within polygon 2, which includes the following parcels: parcel 1, parcel 4, parcel 5, parcel 6, parcel 8, parcel 9, parcel 10, parcel 13, parcel 14 and parcel 9 000, as referred to in the Spanish Land Parcel Identification Scheme (SIGPAC), as published on the date of the competent authority’s approval, constituting a continuous area of land.

Polygon Parcel Area (ha) 2 1 146,69 2 4 73,06 2 5 116,6 2 6 55,82 2 8 30,12 2 9 9,44 2 10 10,12 2 13 2,99 2 14 115,21 2 9 000 0,44 Total 560,49 ha

7. Wine grapes variety(ies)

Albillo mayor

Cabernet franc

Cabernet sauvignon

Red grenache

Gewürztraminer

Godello

Graciano

Malbec

Merlot

Petit verdot

Pinot noir

Riesling

Sauvignon blanc

Syrah

Tempranillo

Verdejo

8. Description of the link(s)

8.1. Environmental conditions (natural factors)

The defined geographical area consists of 560,49 hectares and is a continuous area of land. It is situated in the geographical area which has historically been referred to as ‘Abadía Retuerta’ in reference to the site made up of the extensive lands that surrounded the Retuerta Monastery. According to the second meaning given in the Diccionario de la Real Academia de la Lengua Española, ‘abadía’ or ‘abbey’ is a ‘church and monastery with its own territory governed by an abbot’. The lands that make up this territory were given to the monasteries by royalty and the nobility, dating back to the year 1143 in the case of ‘Abadía Retuerta’. The Duero valley became an area of monastic settlements after the Muslim occupation. These settlements served not only as centres of evangelisation, but also fulfilled an important economic role, driving livestock and crop farming. The presence of these great monasteries meant that this territory gained importance in agricultural terms, the link to wine being particularly significant and remaining so to this day.

The geographical area ‘Abadía Retuerta’ has natural boundaries: the river Duero to the north and the ‘El Carrascal’ mountain to the south, both of which are protected sites, considered as sites of Community interest (SCI).

‘Abadía Retuerta’ is uniquely located in the narrowest basin at the bottom of the valley formed by the river Duero as it flows through the province of Valladolid. The demarcated geographical area is located on the terraced riverbanks of one of its meanders, flanked by two higher (altitude of 880 m) limestone-marl plains, lying close together and marking its northern and southern boundaries, and by holm oak and Scots pine woods on the southern, eastern and western edges of the demarcated area, which have the effect of regulating humidity levels. The area is perfectly demarcated by elements of the physical environment which surround the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ area.

Climate

The climate of ‘Abadía Retuerta’ has a marked continental character, with the influence of the Atlantic cloud cover, and moderate rainfall, with dry summers. Flanked on one side by the river Duero which forms a ‘barrier’, and on the other side by the plain, it is situated in a very particular climate zone.

The data from the meteorological observatories in the area have been studied, taking as a reference a station located in an adjacent estate, on the other side of the river (Granja Sardón) and another one located in Tudela de Duero, the nearest of the towns included in the ‘Castilla y León’ PGI, some 12 km away.

Table 1 shows that temperatures are high in summer and low in winter, with significant thermal fluctuations; in ‘Abadía Retuerta’, for example, absolute highs of 42 °C and lows of -20 °C have been recorded.

Table 1

Average monthly temperatures (°C)

Station Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Sardón (Granja) 2,7 4,1 6,6 8,6 12,7 16,6 20 19,5 16,6 11,7 6,2 3,3 Abadía Retuerta 3,1 4,8 6,2 8,8 12,5 17 20,5 19,9 16,5 11,8 6,3 3 Tudela de Duero 3,1 4,7 7,6 10,1 13,8 18,4 21,6 20,8 17,6 12,5 6,5 3,4

Comparing temperatures, it is noted that the temperature in ‘Abadía Retuerta’ is almost one degree lower than in the nearby municipality of Tudela de Duero, and there are appreciable differences in temperature even with Sardón.

The vines of ‘Abadía Retuerta’ therefore have a shorter growing cycle, and this is one of the things that makes the local wine-growing unique.

The prolonged cold period obviously carries a greater risk of frosts when temperatures go below 0 oC. ‘Abadía Retuerta’ thus has the greatest risk of frost and the shortest frost-free period.

The average rainfall data from the neighbouring villages (Table 2) shows us that this region is quite homogeneous, with an average annual rainfall of around 450 mm. Although ‘Abadía Retuerta’ receives the most rainfall, approximately 4 90 mm [sic] per year, it is also the area with the greatest variation between seasons, with little rainfall in the summer, resulting in acute water stress since the potential evapotranspiration (PET) is high.

Table 2

Annual average temperatures and precipitation (°C)

Station A.A.T. (oC) A.A.P. (mm) Sardón (Granja) 10,7 450,3 Abadía Retuerta 10,8 489,8 Tudela de Duero 11,7 443,3 Valbuena de D. – 475,1 Quintanilla de O. – 435,9 Peñafiel – 475,4

8.2.

Analysing all the climatic data, we can determine a mesoclimatic zone in ‘Abadía Retuerta’ delimited by the Duero basin – which acts as a thermal barrier separating the area from Granja Sardón – and the high altitudes of the Quintanilla plain.

This setting provides specific climatic characteristics, where the colder air that comes in from the plain, which is situated at an altitude of almost 900 m, meets the humidity of the River Duero, at 725 m.

This is thus an isolated area, cool, with high risks of frost, with relatively low values in the bioclimatic indices for viticulture, allowing a good ripening with very balanced grapes and a high potential for wine production.

Soils

‘Abadía Retuerta’ belongs to Spain’s great northern plateau, made up of a large shelf of ancient, flattened-out basement rock, partly covered by tertiary sediments.

There is a great diversity of types of rocks (conglomerates, sand, marl with and without gypsym, clay and limestone) and morphological units (plains, inclines, slopes, terraces and flat farmland). Added to this complexity is a major peculiarity of ‘Abadía Retuerta’ with regard to the vineyard: the sandy cover with a thickness varying from centimetres to several metres. This sandy cover often ‘hides’ soils of enormous diversity.

The soil pH in the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ area is homogeneous, with slight alkalinity, low levels of organic matter and a texture ranging from sandy to clay loam, with a high percentage of sand predominating throughout almost the entire area, although clay content increases closer to the area of the slopes. The total carbonate and ‘active’ calcium carbonate levels are generally low, but rise with altitude.

8.3. Environmental conditions (human factors)

The vines are trellised, with the exception of those facing the abbey, which are trained to gobelet for aesthetic reasons. Two systems of pruning are used: Guyot (for Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) and Cordon de Royat (for the other varieties). Guyot pruning is used for small-cluster varieties, while Cordon pruning allows us to better regulate production in the other varieties. Green pruning is carried out once the vines bud. This is necessary for adjusting the vineyard yields. Although the maximum yields proposed are 60 hectolitres per hectare, the average actual yields do not exceed 40 hectolitres per hectare, because of these practices in the vineyard. The low yields and physical characteristics of ‘Abadía Retuerta’ are a factor in its quality and distinctive nature.

After years of work in the vineyards, the many different varieties planted have adapted to the terroir of ‘Abadía Retuerta’, presenting their distinguishing qualities and specific characteristics.

As well as the broad range of grape varieties grown, care has been taken in selecting microbiota populations that are native to the vineyards (and which are responsible for the main biochemical reactions in the wines), as the soil and climate conditions combine to ensure that they adapt well and survive there.

In this way, various micro-organisms indigenous to the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ vineyard have been isolated, including the native yeast ‘Saccharomyces verevisiae subsp. cerevisiae’ and the native bacterium ‘Oenococcus oeni’, which are incorporated into the wine-making process at the start of each harvest.

The handling of the grapes in the harvest and during the vinification of ‘Abadía Retuerta’ also differs from the traditional handling in the surrounding areas. It relies on gravity, a form of working the grapes in which the use of pumps is avoided, favouring the development of natural processes, leading to a more respectful and careful processing. Similarly, the use of native fermenting microbiota produces wines which are perfectly identifiable with the terroir they come from, better preserve the fruity aromas, and are more stable in colour.

8.4. Quality and characteristics of the wine

The wines made in ‘Abadía Retuerta’ have some unique characteristics because of the particularities of the geographical area they come from:

(1) The extreme climate and the pronounced fluctuations between day- and night-time temperatures allows the grapes to ripen slowly and precisely, producing wines that are intense in colour and volume, well-structured with high levels of polyphenolic compounds such as anthocyanins.

(2) The texture and composition of the soils and their nutrients, and the proximity of the river in an area with limited rainfall, give the wines a robust character and good alcohol-acidity and pH balance.

(3) The use of native yeasts that come from the vineyard itself gives the wine a distinctive personality, a complex aromatic profile, clean and both fruity and floral, as well as fresh with very particular notes of balsam and Mediterranean scrub (herbs such as thyme, lavender and rockrose), reminiscent of vegetation in the environment which protects the vineyard parcels and which distinguishes the wines from those from neighbouring areas.

(4) The use of gravity in all the wine-making processes allows production to be carried out in a gentler, more natural way, which results in a broader and fruitier expression on the palate, longer-lasting aroma, along with a tannic structure that is finer and less rustic than the wines from the surrounding area.

(5) These characteristics make them ideal candidates for maturing and ageing, either in barrels or in the bottle in the case of the red wines, as has been shown since production first began in 1996.

The production of white wines is quite unusual in the area due to the altitude and the extreme climate, but some of the parcels in ‘Abadía Retuerta’, which are well protected by vegetation, close to the river Duero and have looser soil and gravel, allow for the successful cultivation of white varieties.

White wines are therefore a rarity in the Duero valley. At ‘Abadía Retuerta’ we have achieved excellent ripening of some white varieties and their wines are bright straw-coloured with flashes of gold. They are complex and intense in the nose, reminiscent of stone fruits with hints of pineapple and grapefruit and lightly toasted aromas. Their volume and unctuousness on the palate is worthy of note. The time spent in the barrels provides a fresh, citrus taste with smoky and slightly spicy aromas.

8.5. Causal link

The exceptional natural enclave presented by ‘Abadía Retuerta’ in the narrow Duero valley where moisture and cold air accumulate, together with the protection provided by the curve of the river and the vegetation in the surroundings, gives rise to unusual weather conditions. They are in turn conditioned by the types of soil present, which clearly influence the quality of the grapes produced and, ultimately, the resulting wines.

The summer weather (and more specifically, the temperature variation) combined with the sandy and gravelly soil found in the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ site means that the sun’s rays are reflected back towards the bunches of grapes during the day, so the soils are considered to be warm. At night, the orographic effect of thermal inversion from the bottom of the valley (where humidity and masses of cold air accumulate), combined with the sandy material (which has a higher thermal radiation coefficient) mean that the temperature drops more quickly. All this leads to bigger shifts in temperature between day and night, which has direct repercussions on how the grapes ripen in the area, making their skins thicker than in other zones. It also means their colour is more intense as a higher content of total anthocyanins builds up. This factor has a lasting impact on the wine, such that after the fermentative and post-fermentative extracellular maceration process, the wine has a higher colour intensity (CI) and a higher total polyphenol index (TPI) than other wines produced in the surrounding area. This results in the most relevant characteristic of the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ red wines: their excellent structure and long finish in the mouth.

The average annual temperature varies from that of the surrounding areas. This has the effect of a slower ripening process, with a longer cycle and better-compensated acidity values due to the fact that the technological maturity is more balanced. This results in wines with a very good balance between acidity and alcohol content. Acidity is adequate but there is no sharpness.

The grapes grown in the soils of the ‘Abadía Retuerta’, which are predominantly calcareous with low levels of organic matter, have, together with the growing practices, given a home to specific micro-organisms that have been able to adapt and multiply in the area, becoming a characteristic feature. After exhaustively identifying, isolating and characterising the strains of interest, it became possible to incorporate this microbiota into the production process, by using an indigenous yeast during the fermentation process, giving the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ wines very individual characteristics that differ from those of the surrounding areas, wines with a fresh and intense aromatic profile (forest fruits, pineapple, grapefruit, floral and exotic notes, etc.). Similarly, during malolactic fermentation the indigenous bacteria produce low levels of biogenic amines.

Although the demarcated geographical area falls within the limits of the ‘Castilla y León’ PGI, the characteristics of its wines differ substantially from those wines and from those of the neighbouring ‘Ribera del Duero’ PDO:

‘Castilla y León’ PGI ‘Abadía Retuerta’ Difference > 11,0 > 12,0 Higher alcoholic strength 16 000 kg 8 000 kg Lower yield per hectare < 13,36 meq/l < 16,7 meq/l Higher volatile acidity ‘Ribera del Duero’ PDO ‘Abadía Retuerta’ Differences > 11,0 in whites > 11,5 in reds > 12,0 Higher alcoholic strength 7 000 kg 8 000 kg Greater yield per hectare < 8,33 meq/l < 16,7 meq/l Higher volatile acidity

8.6.

The application for the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ PDO is being made by a sole applicant as the conditions for the derogation established in Article 95 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 are met. More specifically, in accordance with Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 607/2009:

(a) The person in question is the only producer in the demarcated geographical area. There is only one wine-grower (who is also the winemaker) within the demarcated area described in section 4. There are no other growers or winemakers so there is no possibility of any other participants joining the project for the time being. In future, however, other producers may use the registered name if they set up in the defined geographical area, provided they meet the conditions set out in the product specification.

(b) The demarcated area is located within the area protected by the ‘Castilla y León’ PGI and borders the ‘Ribera del Duero’ PDO. Nevertheless, due to its configuration, this area possesses features which are substantially different from those of the surrounding demarcated areas or the characteristics of the product differ from those of the products obtained in the surrounding demarcated areas, as is explained in the previous sections.

While the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ wines do have the characteristics of the ‘Castilla y León’ PGI, they also have some other characteristics that differ from the other wines of that PGI and which are not found in the ‘Ribera del Duero’ PDO either. These singular characteristics are present only within the delimited area (pago or wine estate).

A key element of these distinctive characteristics comes from the varietal map of ‘Abadía Retuerta’, which differs significantly from that which dominates in the neighbouring vineyard areas. In the ‘Ribera del Duero’ PDO area and the surrounding vineyards used to make wines covered by the PGI, there is practically a monoculture of the Tempranillo variety in its various synonyms. In ‘Abadía Retuerta’, a number of varieties (up to nine red and five white varieties) have been established, allowing us to obtain blended wines or distinctive single variety Tempranillo wines. This, together with the special agro-climatic conditions already mentioned and the minimal-intervention nature of the production conditions, gives the wines their specific profile that differs from those of the surrounding areas.

9. Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

1. ‘Vino de pago’ (single-estate wine) is the traditional term as defined in Article 112(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. Therefore, in accordance with Article 119(3)(b) of that Regulation, this term may be used to label wine instead of ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida’ (‘Protected Designation of Origin’).

2. The ‘Abadía Retuerta’ PDO wines may use the traditional terms ‘Crianza’, ‘Reserva’ and ‘Gran Reserva’ on the label in accordance with Article 112(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, provided they comply with the conditions of use laid down in the legislation in force and which are covered in the E-Bacchus electronic database.

3. Likewise, the wines covered by the ‘Abadía Retuerta’ PDO may feature the word ‘Roble’ (Oak) on the label as long as compliance is ensured with the legislation in force.

Link to the product specification

https://www.itacyl.es/documents/20143/342640/PCC+VP+ABADIA+RETUERTA_en+vigor.docx/70ba1faf-8b4b-fc32-6b35-8ffabd198020?t=1659647592330

(1) OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2.