Terroir 2006 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Geological characterization of plot belonging to the left bank terraces terroir of the Gaillac vineyard (Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées). Consequences on determination of choice of vegetative material

Geological characterization of plot belonging to the left bank terraces terroir of the Gaillac vineyard (Tarn, Midi-Pyrénées). Consequences on determination of choice of vegetative material

Abstract

Detailed geological analyses of a plot belonging to the « AOC Gaillac » area have been carried out. This plot belongs to the left bank terraces of the Tarn River which coinciding with one of the three main terroirs of the AOC area. It is localised on the rissian-aged (≈ 200 000 yrs B.P.) terrace composed of alluvial shelves crosscut by small valleys where the Oligocene (ca. 28 My) marly molassic basement outcrops. It spatially coincides with the terrace slope on which typical luvisols have developed composed by an eluvial silty-sandy horizon (up to 60 cm) overlying an illuvial pebble-sand level (up to 3 m) where clays and ferrous oxides are moderately accumulated. The slope terrace appears to be a unit with great potential for production of high quality wine because of its high topographic gradient combined with the thick permeable pebble-sand sequence, both triggering a high drainage coefficient. Further, combination of physical and chemical results – acidic pH and very low CEC – permits to select Gravesac rootstock adapted to well-drained acidic soils and Syrah/Fer Servadou climatic-adapted grapevine varieties as the most suitable vegetative material.

DOI:

Publication date: January 12, 2022

Issue: Terroir 2006

Type: Article

Authors

Pierre COURJAULT-RADE (1), Marguerite MUNOZ (1), Eric MAIRE (1) and Nicolas HIRISSOU (2)

(1) Laboratoire des Mécanismes de Transferts en Géologie (LMTG), UMR 5563 CNRS, 14, avenue E. Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
(2) Domaine du Moulin, chemin de Bastié, 81600 Gaillac, France

Contact the author

Keywords

AOC Gaillac, geology, morphology, vegetative material, terroir effect

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2006

Citation

Related articles…

INCREASING PINOT NOIR COLOUR DENSITY THROUGH SEQUENTIAL INOCULATION OF FLOCCULENT COMMERCIAL WINE YEAST SPECIES

Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir can be challenging to manage in the winery as its thin skins require careful handling to ensure sufficient extraction of wine colour to promote colour stability during ageing.1 Literature has shown that fermentation with flocculent yeasts can increase red wine colour density.2 As consumers prefer greater colour density in red wines,3 the development of tools to increase colour density would be useful for the wine industry. This research explored the impact of interspecies sequential inoculation and co-flocculation of commercial yeast on Pinot noir wine colour.

Diffuse light due to wildfire smoke enhances gas exchange of shaded leaves

The risk of wildfires is increasing as the frequency and severity of drought and heat waves continue to rise. Wildfires are associated with the combustion of plant materials and emit smoke. In the atmosphere, smoke may spread readily across large areas. Smoke is composed of solid and liquid phase particulates and gases and has been identified as a causal agent of “smoke taint” in wine. On a smoky day, the intensity of direct light decreases because these particulates scatter sunlight. Even though this effect is frequently assumed to decrease plant photosynthesis, this assumption ignores the potential changes in diffuse light and may be based on scant evidence.

Influence of irrigation on water status, productivity, yield and must composition in Tempranillo grapevine under Duero Valley zone conditions

Cette étude a pour but d’évaluer la modification de l’état hydrique (potentiel hydrique foliaire), le comportement productif (matière sèche et rendement) et la expression qualitative (poids de baie, degrée Brix, pH, acidité totale, concentration polyphénolique) de la varieté Tempranillo dans la Vallée du Douro, à l’A.O. Cigales, comme conséquence de l’application d’une irrigation modérée. Pour développer l’essai on a appliqué les suivantes

Soil, foliar, and juice nitrogen application: influence on fruit and wine for Chardonel grown in Virginia

Nitrogen (N) is applied in the vineyard or the winery in wine production systems. The influence of different routes of N application is not well understood.

Mapping and tracking canopy size with VitiCanopy

Understanding vineyard variability to target management strategies, apply inputs efficiently and deliver consistent grape quality to the winery is essential. However, despite inherent vineyard variability, the majority are managed as if they are uniform. VitiCanopy is a simple, grower-friendly tool for precision/digital viticulture that allows users to collect and interpret objective spatial information about vineyard performance. After four years of field and market research, an upgraded VitiCanopy has been created to achieve a more streamlined, technology-assisted vine monitoring tool that provides users with a set of superior new features, which could significantly improve the way users monitor their grapevines. These new features include:
• New user interface
• User authentication
• Batch analysis of multiple images
• Ease the learning curve through enhanced help features
• Reporting via the creation of colour maps that will allow users to assess the spatial differences in canopies within a vineyard.
Use-case examples are presented to demonstrate the quantification and mapping of vineyard variability through objective canopy measurements, ground-truthing of remotely sensed measurements, monitoring of crop conditions, implementation of disease and water management decisions as well as creating a history of each site to forecast quality. This intelligent tool allows users to manage grapevines and make informed management choices to achieve the desired production targets and remain profitable.