Publication of an application 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 2023/C 198/11
Date: 2023-06-06
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Abruzzi, Italy, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, red wine








C_2023198EN.01003001.xml










6.6.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 198/30






Publication of an application 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
(2023/C 198/11)
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.
REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

‘Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane’


PDO-IT-A0876-AM04


Date of application: 22.9.2016

1.   Rules applicable to the amendment

Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 – Non-minor modification
2.   Description and reasons for amendment

1.   Change of name: The name of the PDO ‘Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane’ has been changed to ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’

The amendment changes the name of the designation from ‘Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane’ to ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’.
Reason: placing the geographical name (Colline Teramane) before rather than after the historical name (Montepulciano d’Abruzzo) immediately identifies the designation with the geographical production area, i.e. ‘the demarcated geographical area’ as provided for in EU legislation.
This name change applies to the entire product specification and the single document wherever the name of the designation is mentioned.
2.   Bottling within the demarcated area: adding the requirement that the wine be bottled and aged within the demarcated production area

This amendment requires the wine to be bottled and aged within the demarcated production area, in accordance with Article 8 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 607/2009 (2).
Reason: Bottling within the demarcated geographical area is intended to guarantee the wine’s origin and preserve its specific characteristics, as well as protecting its reputation and ensuring the effectiveness of the various checks.
The quality and signature characteristics of the ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ wines, which are closely associated with the geographical area where the grapes are grown, are indeed best ensured by bottling within the demarcated area since the application of all the technical rules on bottling and ageing and compliance with such rules falls under the responsibility and benefits from the professional competence of the companies producing in the demarcated area.
This obligation makes it possible to avoid the risks that transporting the wine outside the area could entail, such as: oxidation and thermal stress caused by abrupt changes in temperature, resulting in the deterioration of the product, with consequent negative effects on its chemical-physical and organoleptic characteristics and stability.
Requiring the wine to be bottled within the area enables the above-mentioned risks to be avoided because the competent bodies’ control system, to which the operators are subjected at every stage of production, is more effective within the demarcated area.
This condition has therefore been introduced for the benefit of the operators responsible for safeguarding the quality of ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ DOCG (PDO) wines, in order to offer consumers the guarantee of the wine’s origin, quality and compliance with the product specification, and to maintain the designation’s high reputation.
However, also in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 607/2009 and the relevant national legislation, in order to safeguard established rights, individual authorisations may be granted to operators who have traditionally carried out bottling outside the demarcated production area, while nevertheless ensuring that the list of out-of-area bottling firms to be covered by the checks carried out by the competent body is limited.
This amendment concerns Article 5 of the product specification and section 9 ‘Further conditions’ of the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name of product

Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
2.   Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin
3.   Categories of grapevine products







1.


Wine




4.   Description of the wine(s)

1.   Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo







 


Colour: intense ruby red with slight hints of purple, tending to garnet with age;










 


Aroma: notes of ripe red fruit, intense;










 


Taste: dry, harmonious, pleasantly tannic;










 


Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume: 12,5 % vol.;










 


Minimum sugar-free extract: 25 g/l.




Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.






General analytical characteristics




Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)


 




Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)


 




Minimum total acidity


4,5 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid




Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)


 




Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)


 




2.   Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo riserva [reserve]






 


Colour: intense ruby red, tending to garnet with age;










 


Aroma: notes of ripe red fruit, jam, spices, intense, complex;










 


Taste: dry, full-bodied, harmonious and velvety;










 


Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume: 12,5 % vol.;










 


Minimum sugar-free extract: 25 g/l.




Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.






General analytical characteristics




Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)


 




Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)


 




Minimum total acidity


4,5 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid




Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)


 




Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)


 




5.   Wine making practices

a.   Essential oenological practices

—
b.   Maximum yields







1.


Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
66,5 hectolitres per hectare










2.


Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
9 500 kilograms of grapes per hectare










3.


Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo riserva [reserve]
66,5 hectolitres per hectare










4.


Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo riserva [reserve]
9 500 kilograms of grapes per hectare




6.   Demarcated geographical area

The production area for wines with the controlled and guaranteed designation of origin ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ lies within the boundaries of the following municipalities of the Province of Teramo: Ancarano, Atri, Basciano, Bellante, Campli, Canzano, Castellalto, Castiglione Messer Raimondo, Castilenti, Cellino Attanasio, Cermignano, Civitella del Tronto, Colonnella, Controguerra, Corropoli, Giulianova, Martinsicuro, Montorio al Vomano, Morro d’Oro, Mosciano Sant’Angelo, Nereto, Notaresco, Penna Sant’Andrea, Pineto, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Sant’Egidio alla Vibrata, Sant’Omero, Silvi, Teramo, Torano Nuovo and Tortoreto.
7.   Main wine grapes variety(ies)

Montepulciano N
8.   Description of the link(s)

1.   Details of the geographical area

Natural factors relevant to the link
The demarcated area includes a broad strip of the coastal and inland hills of the province of Teramo, in the region of Abruzzo, which extends to the centre-north to the foothills of the Gran Sasso massif and of the Monti della Laga [the Laga Mountains]. The area has silty clay soil with lower density layers in the coastal areas and gentle slopes that are well exposed to the sun. The average annual rainfall in the area varies between 700 mm/year on the coastal slopes and 800 mm/year on the inland hills. Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year, with a more rainy period between October and December (about 70-80 mm/month), while the month with the least rainfall is July (around 40-45 mm). The climate is temperate, tending to temperate/warm in the summer months, with average temperatures of between 13 °C in April and 16 °C in October and peaks of 24-25 °C during the months of July and August. Temperatures drop sharply at night compared to day temperatures: this is due in part to the proximity of the Gran Sasso massif and Monti della Laga mountains, which also assist ventilation, leading to optimum conditions for the health of the grapes and the accumulation of high levels of aromatic substances. The Winkler index, i.e. the mean daily temperature during the period from April to October, is above 2 000 growing degree-days, conditions that ensure the optimal ripeness both of the Montepulciano grape, the basic grape variety used to produce this designation, and of the Sangiovese grape, which ripens earlier and may be used as a secondary variety.
Human factors relevant to the link
The first real historical testimony of wine production in the area of Teramo, as recorded by Polybius (205-123 BC), dates back to Hannibal’s famous tactical move (216 BC) and his victory at the Battle of Cannae. Indeed, the territory mentioned by Polybius was precisely that just below the Piceno-Aprutina area, i.e. the current province of Teramo, which has been renowned for the quality of its wines that ‘had cured the wounded and restored men to health and strength’ since antiquity. The publication of Edoardo Ottavi and Arturo Marescalchi, entitled Vade-Mecum del commerciante di uve e di vini in Italia [Vademecum for Italian grape and wine traders], the first edition of which was published in 1897, describes in detail viticulture in the province of Teramo, specifying that ‘the predominant white grape varieties were Trebbiano, Malvasia, Moscatello and Greca, while the main red grape varieties were Montepulciano and Sangiovese.’ It is precisely the latter two varieties that make up the combination of grape varieties used to produce ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ wines, which can therefore boast a long and well-established tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and evolved over time, and is now the cornerstone of the area’s socio-economic structure.
This cultural tradition has produced a well-established heritage of expertise and vine growing, winemaking and ageing techniques based on a thorough knowledge of the Montepulciano variety historically grown there and its ability to adapt to the particular environmental conditions.
2.   Information on the quality or characteristics of the product essentially or exclusively attributable to the geographical environment

‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ PDO is reputed to be the best wine produced in this area. Thanks to the characteristics of the terrain, the vicinity of the impressive Gran Sasso mountain massif and the excellent aspect and good ventilation, the Montepulciano variety, which provides the main if not sole basis for these wines, has been able to acclimatise to this area and fully express its specific characteristics, which find their full expression in the PDO wines. The significant variations in temperature, due to the region being hilly for the most part and the proximity of the Gran Sasso and Laga Mountains, enable the Montepulciano grapes to ripen perfectly and result in the concentration of aromatic substances in the grape skin, thanks to the presence of terpenes and polyphenols, which give the wines intense and elegant aromas; the concentration of fixed acids in the grape pulp, which is also aided by the temperature variations during ripening, results in wines that last and are ideally suited for ageing. The Colline Teramane vineyards mainly face south to south-east: this feature ensures the vines’ optimal sun exposure, creating the ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen, the concentration of the sugars and the reduction of the acids. The soils of the Colline Teramane, which are alluvial in origin, have a mixed composition of clay, sand, silt and gravel, which varies according to their proximity to the mountains or the sea and their altitude. The ubiquitous presence of clay, which is ideal for growing red grapes, ensures that the wines produced throughout the Colline Teramane are endowed with very intense colours, complex olfactory sensations, high alcohol content and are soft and age well.
These particular soil and climate conditions result in wines that are very structured, alcoholic, but fresh, rich in colour, elegant and long-lasting. The characteristic colour of these wines is an intense ruby red, with slight purple hues when young, tending to garnet as they mature; the characteristic aroma, which is always intense and complex, ranges from ripe red fruit in younger wines to jam and spices in older wines; the taste is dry, pleasantly tannic, harmonious and velvety.
3.   Description of the causal interaction between the aspects referred to under (A) and those referred to under (B)

‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ wines owe their specific quality characteristics to the interaction between the natural environment and the human factors of tradition and knowledge with regard to growing the grapes, wine-making and ageing. Most notably, producers have opted for quality over quantity, regarding both the choice of the Montepulciano variety, which often provides the sole basis for these PDO wines (this variety has much lower yields compared to other grapes and does not tend to produce bumper crops) and also in their wine production techniques, where they have chosen not to practise enrichment.
The specific soil and climatic conditions combined with the historical, cultural and human factors (meticulous management both of the vineyards and of the subsequent wine-making practices), enable the production of well-structured wines that are complex in organoleptic terms, due to the pronounced and distinct qualities that are typical of the Montepulciano variety, suitable for medium to long ageing, and have deservedly been able to carve out a place for themselves on the most prestigious international markets.
9.   Essential further conditions

Bottling within the demarcated area
Legal framework:
EU legislation
Type of further condition:
Bottling within the demarcated geographical area
Description of the condition:
Reasons why the designation’s quality and reputation are better protected when the wine is bottled in the area.
Transportation and bottling outside the production area can compromise the quality of the wine, which could be exposed to redox reactions, sudden changes in temperature and microbiological contamination. Such factors may adversely affect the wine’s chemical, physical and organoleptic characteristics.
The further the wine is transported, the greater the risk. In contrast, bottling in the area of origin, with batches of wine travelling only short distances if they are moved at all, helps to keep the product’s characteristics intact. These aspects, together with the experience and technical-scientific knowledge of the particular qualities of the wines acquired by the producers of the ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ PDO over the years, enable bottling to be completed in the area of origin with the best technological precautions with a view to preserving all of the wines’ physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics as set out in the specification.
Bottling facilities outside of the production area can indeed provide the same technological packaging conditions. Nevertheless, the aforementioned optimal conditions will certainly be met more effectively if bottling is carried out by establishments based in the production area. Such establishments, as well as having a profound understanding of the specific qualities of this wine, have a direct interest in preserving the level of quality, the image and the reputation of the designation.
Reasons why checks are more effective in the demarcated production area.
In accordance with Article 4(2) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (3), bottling in the production area is intended to allow the competent body to monitor with the maximum effectiveness, efficiency and economy. These requirements cannot be assured to the same extent outside the production area.
The control body that performs the annual check on compliance with the provisions of the specification can very swiftly schedule the inspection visits to all of the undertakings involved in the production area at the time that ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ wine is being bottled, in accordance with the respective inspection plan.
The aim is to systematically verify that only consignments of ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ wine which have first been certified as having passed the physical, chemical and organoleptic tests performed by the control body can be bottled. This makes it possible to achieve better results in terms of the efficacy of the checks, at a limited cost to the producers, with a view to offering consumers the maximum guarantees regarding the wine’s authenticity.
Ensuring the checks’ timeliness, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness cannot be achieved to the same extent for the PDO in question by bottling outside the area, which, were it allowed, could even take place in other EU countries or third countries.
Bottling within the demarcated area
Legal framework:
EU legislation
Type of further condition:
Bottling within the demarcated geographical area
Description of the condition:
Reasons for granting individual derogations to continue bottling outside the area.
With regard to the observation on Article 94(2)(h) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, in relation to the provisions of Article 4(2) TFEU, please note that derogations are granted under the conditions laid down by national legislation (Article 35(3) of Law No 238/2016 – see the attached annex) and that as such they are known in advance to all producers and are not discriminatory.
Specifically, this national law enables bottling firms that are interested to apply for a derogation to continue bottling at their premises located outside the demarcated area, on the condition that they submit the relevant application to the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy and provide documentation proving that they have bottled ‘Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’ PDO wines for at least two of the five years prior to the entry into force of the amendment introducing the requirement for bottling to take place in the area. This does not have to be an unbroken two-year period.
The granting of such individual derogations, in order to safeguard the pre-existing rights of firms that already bottle the wines outside the area, not only complies with the relevant national legislation, but also complies with the above-mentioned EU legislation, since the measure constitutes a lesser restriction on the free movement of goods, compared to the absence of such authorisations, or an ‘absolute’ obligation to bottle in the area.
For reasons similar to those set out in the previous paragraph, we would reiterate that checks limited to a previously known and limited number of authorised bottling firms must be considered easier to organise efficiently and at lesser cost than would be required were the wine not bottled in the area, i.e. with an unknown number of bottling firms located outside the area that could vary over time.

Link to the product specification

https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/19045


(1)  OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

(2)  OJ L 193, 24.7.2009, p. 60.

(3)  OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2.