Proceedings of International Terroir Congress 1996

On peut être surpris de l’existence d’un vignoble de vins liquoreux, le vignoble des Coteaux du Layon, dans une zone septentrionale à la limite Nord de la culture de qualité de la vigne et ce d’autant plus que le cépage de ce vignoble, le Chenin ou Pineau de la Loire, est un cépage semi tardif. La première explication est à rechercher au niveau des facteurs naturels (données climatiques et géopédologiques) permettant la réalisation de ce type de produit. Il est nécessaire de souligner ici l’importance de chaque paramètre du terroir pris dans im sens large (géopédologique et climatique) et que toute variation de l’un d’entre eux, même non perceptible en première analyse à l’homme, peut avoir des incidences déterminantes sur la qualité des vins.

For several years, the development of computer resources, and in particular of Geographic Information Systems, have allowed the emergence of a new approach to the analysis and characterization of wine-growing areas (Morlat, 1989; Laville, 1990). These methods, which make it possible to identify homogeneous areas or units of terroir, are based on crossing, statistical analysis (in particular Principal Component Analysis: PCA) and the integration of parameters describing the natural environment in which develop the vine.

Depuis un an, nous essayons de mettre en place un projet de développement socio-économique et culturel d’une zone située essentiellement au sud de la Garonne et à cheval sur 3 départements (le Lot et Garonne, le Gers et le Tam et Garonne) et sur 2 régions (l’Aquitaine et Midi Pyrénées): le pays du Brulhois, “porte de la Gascogne”.

The grapes producing and wine making regions are différent in their use of agricultural, industrial or agroindustrial means. These means are quite often very original and/or specialised; and lately are also quite competitive. Such means are being defined with increased accuracy in the delimitation and definition of its characteristics (Paneque et al., 1996 a). Human action together with other Elements and Agents involved in the vine growing production (Reyner, 1989) over these means lead to agronomic systems with important characteristics. Finally, the transformation of the vine growing production, through different technologies (Fleet, 1992), results in the creation of products with a different acceptance and economical value in the market.

The diversity of potential sources of damage to the terroir of an appellation (physical, aesthetic, ecological damage, damage to the image, to collective representation or even, in a broad concept which will not be retained here, to the geographical name identifying the terroir) is accompanied by a fragmentation of the legal sources allowing its protection.

Dans le vignoble languedocien, les potentialités qualitatives des terroirs dépendent surtout de leurs caractéristiques édaphiques : la fertilité agronomique d’une part et sa nature géopédologique d’autre part.

The analysis of the distribution of natural plant populations allows an ecological characterization of cultivated environments in thermal, water and trophic terms; it guides the choice or selection of plants (or grape varieties) to cultivate (Astruc et al ., 1984, 1987; Delpoux, 1971; Jacquinet and Astruc, 1979). This approach has given good results in areas where the topography is the determining factor in the ecological differentiation of the terroirs.

Different “landscape unit” have been identified in Bolgheri area (a viticultural appellation in the Tirrenian coast of Tuscany) by the aid of pedological, landscape and agronomic observations in the 1992-1993 period. In all cultivar (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) x landscape unit combinations, experimental plots were chosen in homogeneous vineyards, single cordon trained (about 3300-4500 vines/hectare). Grape maturation was studied by weekly samples of berries from veraison to vintage in the 1992-1995 period. At harvest yield and must composition traits were measured and, from the most représentative plots, sixty kilograms of grapes were harvested each year and vinified according to a standardised scheme. Wines were evaluated by standard chemical and sensory analyses.

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A set of Syrah plots covering a wide range of terroirs distributed in the vineyards of the Rhone Valley and the Mediterranean South is examined through their oenological and sensory characteristics. The multidimensional analysis of data leads to the following groupings: (1) A group of unstructured wines with a simple aromatic profile dominated by fruity-floral notes; they come from plots where the ripening conditions have been disturbed by unfavorable climatic conditions, or an excess harvest.

La topographie du vignoble de Côte Rôtie, la prédominance de la non culture ainsi que la structure très légère des sols amènent les vignerons à s’interroger sur l’entretien du sol, la conduite de la fertilisation de leurs parcelles ainsi que sur le développement racinaire de la vigne.

The AOC Saint-Emilion, one of the most prestigious in Bordeaux, is located on the right bank of the Dordogne upstream from Libourne. The vineyard is planted on Tertiary (Oligocene) and Quaternary geological formations, on which very varied soils have developed. Numerous studies have taken account of this heterogeneity and made it possible to better understand the functioning and viticultural potential of these soils (Duteau et al. 1981, Van Leeuwen, 1991).

Vine water status has a significant influence on vineyard yield and berry composition (Williams and Matthews, 1990; Williams et al., 1994). It has been hypothesized that the response of plants to soil water deficits may be due to some sort of “root signal” (Davies and Zhang, 1991). This signal probably arises due to the roots sensing a reduction in soil water content or an increase in the mecanical impedance as the soil dries out.

Les buts principaux de cet essai, sont la mise en évidence des effets traitement agroviticole et millésime, par une recherche de liens entre les données vendanges et sensorielles des vins issus.

In addition to studies on the edaphic and landscape characteristics of the environment (Dolédec, 1995), the characterization of the physiology of the vine and of parasitism during its vegetative cycle represents an essential component of knowledge and management of the terroirs.