AOC Saint-Romain, Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune, Burgundy: analysis of a “terroir”

Approaching the notion of terroir wines at the level of consumption poses a problem due to the absence of a regulatory definition of the term terroir, which is not taken up either at Community level or at national level (the Consumer Code in particular does not define not the land). However, whatever definition is adopted for the terroir, we can retain at the consumer level an identification of the terroir through the different geographical mentions appearing on the labels or on the shelves of the wine shelf.

The Mediterranean climate of The Priorat AOC, situated behind the coastal mountain range of Tarragona, tends towards continentality with very little precipitation during the vegetation cycle. The soil is poor, dry and rocky, largely composed of slate schist, known as “llicorella”. Vines primarily grow on steep slopes and terraces.

One of the characteristics of the terroir zoning studies that is more complex to manage is the scale dependence. Thus, terroir zoning studies of the same area at different scales are comparable but not equal. Fractal analysis has demonstrated to be a suitable tool to characterize and model natural elements within a defined range of scales.

From a chemical composition point of view, wine is the result of complex interplays between environmental, genetic and human factors. The notion of terroir in viticulture involves the vine and its environment, including phenology, geography, geology, pedology and local climate of a vineyard, along with human inputs.

Nei vini rosati, è il colore ad avere il primo impatto con il consumatore. Esso risulterà tanto più accattivante, quanto più elegante e raffinato si presenta.