Soils, climate, nutritive status and production of cv “Palomino fino” in the superior quality area of the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry zone

The Registered Appellation of Origin Mark (RAOM) « Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda » is one of the oldest and more important zone in wine history and production. «Albarizas» unit (white calcareous marls with sea-fossils) is the most representative geological material of the RAOM (75%) and even more in the central-NW area of the RAOM, known as «Jerez Superior» area (Superior Quality Sherry Area). « Albarizas » form undulated hillocks (3-10% slope) and hills (>10% slope), the litologic unit has E-W and S-W direction, and Regosols and Leptosols are the principal soils. Chemical and physical analytical data show the high aptitude for vine culture of these soils. The Superior Quality zone has mean minimum temperatures between 10.3 and 12.5 °C, mean maximum between 22 and 24 oC, and the annual rainfall ranged between 513 to 624 mm. Climatic indexes indicated very good conditions for vine cultivation and high quality wine production. «Palomino Fino» is the main vine cv. both in the RAOM and Superior Quality Sherry area. There were no big differences in the nutritional status of the plants from the plots compared but a decrease of N, P, K and increase of Ca and Mg levels occurred along the reproductive cycle in all parts and classes of leaves. This behaviour was accelerated by leaf age and plant production.