Soil functional characteristics for qualitative Sangiovese wine production in Tuscany (Italy)

Le but de ce travail est de faire une synthèse des résultats de plusieurs années de recherche en Italie centrale, sur les caractéristiques fonctionnelles du sol pour la production de vin de qualité. Le cépage de référence est le Sangiovese. Un dispositif de 65 parcelles expérimentales a été utilisé pendant une période de 2 à 5 ans. Les paramètres étudiés sont les stades phénologiques, le rendement par pied, le nombre de grappes, le poids moyen des grappes, le taux d’accumulation des sucres dans les baies, en relation avec le débourrement végétatif, la floraison et la véraison. Les résultats œnologiques ont été mis en relation avec les stades phénologiques pour obtenir une grille de valeurs de référence pour chacun des principaux paramètres agronomiques considérés.

The aim of this work is to summarize the results of several years of research work carried out in Central Italy, concerning soil functional characteristics for qualitative wine production. The reference variety was the Sangiovese vine. A set of 65 experimental plots were utilized during a time span varying from two to five years. Yield components, as well as phenological phases, were recorded. The main chemical characteristics of the grapes from each experimental plot were analyzed at vintage and grape samples were processed using the standard techniques for small-lot wine making. A relationship was established between enological and phenological results. An evaluation of the performance of each experimental vineyard, for every year of trial, was made, and a classification of the plots in terms of matching the optimal phenology was obtained. A matching table considering soil functional parameters and their interaction against site performance classes was finally built up, the final aim being the zoning of wine territories. A selection of all the soil qualities studied was made in order to take into account those which proved to be more important and, at the same time, which it was possible to routinely survey, i.e. available water capacity, aggregate stability, degree of structure, class of internal drainage, presence of a water table, electrical conductivity, vertic properties, rooting depth.