COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 7 February 2019

on the publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

of an application to amend the specification for a name in the wine sector in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(Barbera d’Asti (PDO))

(2019/C 60/05)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 97(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Italy submitted an application to amend the specification for the name ‘Barbera d’Asti’ in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

(2) The Commission examined the application and found that the conditions laid down in Articles 93 to 96, 97(1), 100, 101 and 102 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 had been met.

(3) In order to allow statements of objection to be submitted in accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the application to amend the specification for the name ‘Barbera d’Asti’ should be published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The application to amend the specification for the name ‘Barbera d’Asti’ (PDO) in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 is contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, objections to the amendment of the specification referred to in the first paragraph of this Article may be submitted within two months of the date of publication of this Decision in the

Official Journal of the European Union

.

Done at Brussels, 7 February 2019.

For the Commission

Phil HOGAN

Member of the Commission

(1)  

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671

.

ANNEX

‘Barbera d’Asti’

PDO-IT-A1398-AM02

Date of application: 2.12.2014

REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO THE PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

1.   

Rules applicable to the amendment

Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 — Non-minor modification

2.   

Description of and reasons for the amendment

2.1.   

Amendment to the product specification of Barbera d’Asti DOCG (PDO) — Removal of references to the Nizza sub-area

Amendment to the product specification containing a number of amendments to the single document referred to Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

Article 1 — Designation and wines — References to the Nizza sub-area have been deleted from paragraphs 1 and 2. In the single document references to wines from the Nizza sub-area have been deleted from sections 2.4, 2.5 and 2.5.2. These are formal amendments resulting from the request to convert the Nizza sub-area into a DOCG (PDO) in its own right (pursuant to Article 4(5) of Legislative Decree No 61/2010), as formalised with the application for protection of the corresponding ‘Nizza’ DOCG (PDO) (see file PDO-IT-01896).

The amendment is linked to the request for protection of the ‘Nizza’ DOCG (PDO) (PDO-IT-01896) and the production area of the ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG (PDO) referred to in Article 3 of the specification. The deletion of the Nizza sub-area, which was de facto an additional geographical qualification for ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG (PDO) wines and accordingly was regulated in a separate accompanying specification, and its conversion to the ‘Nizza’ DOCG (PDO) in its own right does not bring about any change in the ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG (PDO) production area. We would thus stress that that production area, described in Article 3, also includes the designated production area in the specification of the ‘Nizza’ DOCG (PDO), just as it has hitherto included the Nizza sub-area. This is fully in accordance with current EU and Italian law on the protection of PDOs and PGIs, which allows for the coexistence within one area of two or more designations, provided that they are regulated separately. In this context, producers will be able, at harvest time each year, to choose which PDO wine to produce in each vineyard (provided of course that they comply with the technical and production characteristics set out in the relevant specification).

2.2.   

Article 4 — Winegrowing standards

Paragraph 2 — Amendment to the specification: The possibility of using emergency irrigation has been introduced by inserting the wording ‘emergency irrigation is permitted’ after the wording ‘any form of forcing is banned’. This amendment is motivated by the changes in climatic conditions in recent years, characterised by low rainfall and high average and maximum summer temperatures, which have caused excessive water stress in various hillside soil and climatic conditions. Allowing emergency irrigation makes it possible, where necessary, to avoid possible negative impact on the quality of grapes and the development of young plants.

Paragraph 4 — Amendment to the specification: The words ‘if necessary’ have been deleted from the sentence ‘In the case of a year with a poor harvest, if necessary, the Piedmont regional government …’.

This is a formal amendment in that the regional government intervenes on the reduction in yield every time a poor harvest occurs. The words ‘if necessary’ are therefore redundant and have been deleted without changing the meaning of the paragraph.

2.3.   

Article 5 — Winemaking standards

Paragraph 4 — Amendment to the specification: In the context of the period of ageing of the wines, in the table mentioning the use of wood, the specific mention of ‘oak’ is deleted from the phrase ‘of which in wood (oak barrels of any size)’.

This is because these days, whilst always seeking to obtain high quality products, producers need to be able to choose other types of wood that they consider more suitable for refining their wines. In any case, EU legislation on PDOs and PGIs does not require the botanical species from which the wood is derived to be indicated in product specifications. Please note that the only provision of EU legislation regulating this matter is Article 66(2) of and Annex XVI to Regulation (EC) No 607/2009, which, among the possible indications to be included on the labelling, also allow the use of indications such as ‘cask aged’, ‘cask matured’ or ‘barrel matured’, i.e. without the botanical name of the species from which the wood is derived.

Paragraph 4, final subparagraph — Amendment to the specification: The phrase ‘of the same vintage’ has been added after the wording ‘Barrels may be topped up with the same wine’.

It was considered useful to specify that, during the period of ageing, the same type of wine from the same vintage must be used to top up barrels.

Article 5(2) — Amendment to the specification: The unit of measure has been changed from ‘kg’ to ‘t’ in the phrase ‘the relevant grape yields in kg/ha as laid down in Article 4(3)’.

This is a formal amendment in order to make the unit of measure consistent with that used in Article 4(3), to which reference is made and which indicates the grape yield in tonnes.

2.4.   

Article 6 — Characteristics on consumption

Amendment to the specification: The following paragraph has been deleted: ‘2. The Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy may, by its own decree, change the total acidity and sugar-free extract limits.’

This is a formal amendment as the option mentioned no longer complies with current legislation.

2.5.   

Article 7 — Name and presentation

Article 7(3) — Amendment to the specification: The following indent has been deleted:

‘The word “Vigna” [vineyard] followed by the relevant place name or traditional name must be shown on the label using a font size that is less than or equal to 50 % of the font size used for the “Barbera d’Asti” DOCG (PDO).’

The purpose of this change is to avoid restrictive rules for indicating the words in question (Vigna + place name), referring instead to the general national and EU rules, thus allowing the indication in question, which is a key distinguishing feature of the wine producer, to be given more prominence.

2.6.   

Article 8 — Packaging

Article 8(1) — Amendment to the specification: Formal amendment requiring the capacity of the containers to be indicated in litres instead of centilitres, in line with the standard system of measurements. At the same time, provision is made for all sizes from 0,187 litres to 12 litres, maintaining the exclusion for capacities of 2 litres, but including some larger sizes that previously could be used only for promotional purposes.

This is based on commercial requirements aimed at making it possible to position the product in a range of different market segments. Above all, the use of larger-capacity bottles makes it possible to improve both the quality (creating optimal conditions for the process of ageing in the bottle) and the image of the wine, in that these are very valuable containers commensurate with the prestige of the wine.

Article 8(3) — Amendment to the specification: The means of closing the bottles have been specified in accordance with current legislation, solely prohibiting the use of crown caps for Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Asti Superiore. In addition, for types qualified with the ‘Vigna’ designation and the indication of the sub-area, only the use of natural corks is permitted.

The reason for this is to avoid excessively restrictive measures for the basic, high-volume types of the DOCG (PDO) and instead to differentiate the image of the more prestigious types, which specify the vineyard and/or sub-area, by using only natural corks.

2.7.   

Amendment to the specification for ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG (PDO) wines. Revision of the annex at the end of the product specification (rules for sub-areas: Nizza, Tinella, Colli Astiani or Astiano)

Amendment to the product specification entailing a number of amendments to the single document referred to Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

The annex at the end of the specification has been revised and the rules relating to the Nizza sub-area have been deleted.

Following the request for protection of the ‘Nizza’ DOCG (PDO) (PDO-IT-01896), the annex has been amended and only the rules for the sub-areas ‘Tinella’ and ‘Colli Astiani’ or ‘Astiano’ have been retained.

The deletion of the Nizza sub-area, which was de facto an additional geographical qualification for ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG (PDO) wines, does not bring about any change in the ‘Barbera d’Asti’ production area.

This is fully in accordance with current EU and Italian law on the protection of PDOs and PGIs, which allows for the coexistence within one area of two or more designations, provided that they are separately regulated.

In this context, producers will be able, at harvest time each year, to choose which PDO wine to produce in each vineyard (provided of course that they comply with the technical and production characteristics set out in the relevant specification).

2.8.   

Update of legal references

Formal amendments to Article 4(3) and Article 7(3) and (10) of the specification and to the Single Document (supporting documents).

Legal references have been updated. The reference to ‘Legislative Decree No 61/2010’ in the product specification has been replaced by reference to ‘Law No 238/2016’. The above-mentioned Law No 238/2016, laying down national rules for production, marketing, designations of origin, geographical indications, traditional terms, labelling and presentation, management, checks and penalties with respect to wine products referred to in Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 and (EU) No 1306/2013, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1149 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1150, has been added to the supporting documents.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1.   

Name to be registered

Barbera d’Asti

2.   

Geographical indication type

PDO — Protected Designation of Origin

3.   

Categories of grapevine products

1.

Wine

4.   

Description of the wine(s)

Barbera d’Asti, Barbera d’Asti Superiore

Colour

: ruby red, tending to garnet red with age;

Aroma

: intense and distinctive, tending to ethereal with age;

Taste

: dry, still, full-bodied; when properly aged, more harmonious, pleasant, full-flavoured;

Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume

: 12,0 %; 12,5 % for wines designated with ‘Superiore’ or ‘Vigna’;

Minimum sugar-free extract

: 24 g/l; with ‘Superiore’ indication: 25 g/l.

Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.

General analytical characteristics

Barbera d’Asti Superiore with specified sub-area ‘Tinella’ and ‘Colli Astiani’ or ‘Astiano’

Colour

: ruby red, tending to garnet red with age;

Aroma

: intense and distinctive, tending to ethereal with age;

Taste

: dry, still, full-bodied; when properly aged, more harmonious, pleasant, full-flavoured;

Minimum total alcoholic strength by volume

: 13,0 %;

Minimum sugar-free extract

: 26 g/l.

Any analytical parameters not shown in the table below comply with the limits laid down in national and EU legislation.

General analytical characteristics

5.   

Wine making practices

5.1.   

Specific oenological practices

Ageing

Specific oenological practice

‘Barbera d’Asti’, including with the ‘Vigna’ indication: must be aged for at least 4 months, from 1 November of the year in which the grapes are harvested.

‘Barbera d’Asti Superiore’, including with the ‘Vigna’ indication: must be aged for at least 14 months, of which at least 6 months in wooden barrels, from 1 November of the year in which grapes are harvested.

‘Barbera d’Asti’ sub-area ‘Tinella’ and ‘Colli Astiani’ or ‘Astiano’: must be aged for at least 24 months, of which at least 6 months in wooden barrels and 6 months in the bottle, from 1 October of the year in which grapes are harvested.

Topping up of barrels

Specific oenological practice

Throughout the mandatory ageing period, barrels may be topped up with the same wine of the same vintage, which may be stored in containers other than wooden barrels, accounting for up to 10 % of the total volume. This operation is carried out in order to ensure that barrels and other wine receptacles are always full to the top; wine that evaporates during the ageing process and/or due to loss of volume caused by drops in temperature is replaced by wine of the same type as that contained in the receptacle.

Enrichment

Specific oenological practice

Enrichment is permitted in compliance with the limits and methods laid down by current legislation for the various types of ‘Barbera d’Asti’.

Restriction: For ‘Barbera d’Asti’ Superiore wines labelled with the sub-area ‘Tinella’, alcoholic strength by volume may be increased by a maximum of 0,5 %, whereas for ‘Barbera d’Asti’ Superiore wines labelled with the sub-area ‘Colli Astiani’ or ‘Astiano’, it may be increased by a maximum of 1 %.

5.2.   

Maximum yields:

Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Asti Superiore

63 hectolitres per hectare

Barbera d’Asti Superiore with specified sub-area ‘Tinella’ and ‘Colli Astiani’ or ‘Astiano’

49 hectolitres per hectare

Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Asti Superiore with ‘Vigna’ designation

56 hectolitres per hectare

6.   

Demarcated geographical area

The production area for ‘Barbera d’Asti’ DOCG (PDO) wines includes the territories of the following municipalities:

Province of Asti:

Agliano Terme, Albugnano, Antignano, Aramengo, Asti, Azzano d’Asti, Baldichieri, Belveglio, Berzano S. Pietro, Bruno, Bubbio, Buttigliera d’Asti, Calamandrana, Calliano, Calosso, Camerano Casasco, Canelli, Cantarana, Capriglio, Casorzo, Cassinasco, Castagnole Lanze, Castagnole Monferrato, Castel Boglione, Castell’Alfero, Castellero, Castelletto Molina, Castello d’Annone, Castelnuovo Belbo, Castelnuovo Calcea, Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Castel Rocchero, Celle Enomondo, Cerreto d’Asti, Cerro Tanaro, Cessole, Chiusano d’Asti, Cinaglio, Cisterna d’Asti, Coazzolo, Cocconato, Corsione, Cortandone, Cortanze, Cortazzone, Cortiglione, Cossombrato, Costigliole d’Asti, Cunico, Dusino San Michele, Ferrere, Fontanile, Frinco, Grana, Grazzano Badoglio, Incisa Scapaccino, Isola d’Asti, Loazzolo, Maranzana, Maretto, Moasca, Mombaldone, Mombaruzzo, Mombercelli, Monale, Monastero Bormida, Moncalvo, Moncucco Torinese, Mongardino, Montabone, Montafia, Montaldo Scarampi, Montechiaro d’Asti, Montegrosso d’Asti, Montemagno, Montiglio Monferrato, Moransengo, Nizza Monferrato, Olmo Gentile, Passerano Marmorito, Penango, Piea, Pino d’Asti, Piovà Massaia, Portacomaro, Quaranti, Refrancore, Revigliasco d’Asti, Roatto, Robella, Rocca d’Arazzo, Roccaverano, Rocchetta Palafea, Rocchetta Tanaro, San Damiano D’Asti, San Giorgio Scarampi, San Martino Alfieri, San Marzano Oliveto, San Paolo Solbrito, Scurzolengo, Serole, Sessame, Settime, Soglio, Tigliole, Tonco, Tonengo, Vaglio Serra, Valfenera, Vesime, Viale d’Asti, Viarigi, Vigliano, Villafranca d’Asti, Villa San Secondo, Vinchio.

Province of Alessandria:

Acqui, Alfiano Natta, Alice Bel Colle, Altavilla Monferrato, Bergamasco, Bistagno, Borgoratto Alessandrino, Camagna Monferrato, Camino, Carentino, Casale Monferrato, Cassine, Castelletto Merli, Cellamonte, Cereseto, Cerrina, Coniolo, Conzano, Cuccaro Monferrato, Frascaro, Frassinello Monferrato, Fubine, Gabiano, Gamalero, Lu Monferrato, Mirabello Monferrato, Mombello Monferrato, Moncestino, Murisengo, Occimiano, Odalengo Grande, Odalengo Piccolo, Olivola, Ottiglio, Ozzano Monferrato, Pontestura, Ponzano Monferrato, Ricaldone, Rosignano Monferrato, Sala Monferrato, S. Giorgio Monferrato, S. Salvatore Monferrato, Serralunga di Crea, Solonghello, Strevi, Terruggia, Terzo, Treville, Vignale, Villadeati, Villamiroglio.

In the municipalities of Coniolo, Casale Monferrato, Occimiano and Mirabello Monferrato, the production area is limited to the hillside areas on the right bank of the River Po, which in turn are delimited by the Casale ring road from the bridge over the Po towards Alessandria, running along the Santa Anna hill, crossing the Valentino neighbourhood and the hamlet of San Germano.

To the south of Casale, the boundary of the production area coincides with the main road until the administrative boundary of the municipality of San Salvatore Monferrato, taking in the land to the west of that road.

Delimitation of sub-areas within the wider Barbera d’Asti DOCG (PDO) production area:

— The production area of ‘Barbera d’Asti’ Superiore ‘Tinella’ DOCG (PDO) wine includes the whole of the territory of the municipalities of Costigliole d’Asti, Calosso, Castagnole Lanze, Coazzolo and Isola d’Asti (limited to the land located to the right of the Asti-Montegrosso road).

— The production area of ‘Barbera d’Asti’ Superiore ‘Colli Astiani’ or ‘Astiano’ includes, with regard to the municipality of Asti, the district of Montemarzo and San Marzanotto Valle Tanaro, with regard to the municipality of Isola d’Asti, the land to the left of the Asti-Montegrosso d’Asti road, and the entire territories of the municipalities of Mongardino, Vigliano, Montegrosso d’Asti, Montaldo Scarampi, Rocca d’Arazzo and Azzano.

7.   

Main wine grapes variety(ies)

Barbera N.

8.   

Description of the link(s)

Natural factors relevant to the link

The production area is in the middle of what is known as the Tertiary Piedmont Basin and includes the Province of Asti and part of the Province of Alessandria. It is an area of low hills with an altitude of mostly between 150 and 400 metres, characterised by a temperate or temperate to warm climate (around 1 800 degree days) with average annual rainfall of around 700 mm.

The lands of the ‘Barbera d’Asti’ date back to more than 2 million years ago, when the sea receded from what is now the Po Valley and erosion started on a massive scale, shaping the hilly landscape into its current configuration. The oldest lands are situated to the north and south of the production area and consist of arenaceous and calcareous marl from the Miocene, the so-called ‘white soils’, in which fossil shells are easy to find. The most recent are the ‘Asti sands’ (Pliocene) on the banks of the Tanaro, which are sedimentary marine deposits. These are predominantly calcareous soils characterised by an abundance of calcium carbonate and low organic matter; they are often arid in summer due to the slope of the hills which means they cannot retain water.

Human factors relevant to the link

The book

Ampelografia della Provincia di Alessandria

(Vine varieties of the Province of Alessandria), Leardi and Demaria, 1873 (at that time the Province of Alessandria also included the whole of the present-day Province of Asti, which broke away from it in 1936), says the following about the Barbera variety: ‘This very well-known grape variety is one of the main varieties used in the wines of Asti and the Basso Monferrato, where it is a native variety that has been grown for a very long time’.

The perfect synergy between man and the environment in the ‘Barbera d’Asti’ area is summed up by the use of the traditional contour and vertical trellis training systems, the Guyot and sometimes spurred cordon pruning systems, the containment of yields and a rational management of foliage which, together with the south-facing exposure, maximise the quality of the Barbera grape. The Barbera grape variety, which requires lots of sunshine, is normally grown on the best-exposed hillsides (facing south-east to west), excluding the valley floors.

Details of the quality or characteristics of the product essentially or exclusively attributable to the geographical environment.

The combination of natural and human factors that characterises the area allows Barbera d’Asti wine to be obtained that has a good average alcoholic strength of 13 % vol., good acidity and an excellent polyphenol composition. The characteristics of wines produced in this geographical area are closely related to the soils. The ‘white soils’, with their prevalence of silt and clay and high calcium carbonate content, produce full-bodied wines which are rich in colour and keep well for a long time. The ‘Asti sands’, which are predominantly found in the centre of the Monferrato Astigiano area, on the left and right of the Tanaro River, produce red wines with intense and elegant aromas of red fruit and low acidity, which age faster.

Description of the causal interaction

Whilst it is common throughout southern Piedmont, the Barbera vine variety is particularly widespread in this area, where it is the main variety. The hilly terrain and south-east to south-west facing slopes combine to create an ideal environment that is airy and bright without stagnant water. The temperate to warm climate, the texture and chemical/physical composition of the soils and the constant work of humans to maintain this territory and its vineyards demonstrate the link between the land and the wines, which enhances the special characteristics of red wines with the Barbera d’Asti registered designation of origin.

The versatility of the Barbera variety, combined with the territory in which it is grown, is ideal for producing wine suitable for ageing. Thanks to the traditional use of the large cask and, more recently, the barrique, these red wines may now bear the ‘Superiore’ indication. They have greater body and organoleptic complexity and keep for a long time, and they have allowed the Barbera d’Asti designation to achieve great fame and growing recognition internationally.

9.   

Essential further conditions

Packaging

The size of the packaging varies from 0,187 litres to 12 litres, with the exclusion for capacities of 2 litres.

It is prohibited to use crown caps for Barbera d’Asti and Barbera d’Asti Superiore as the means of closing the bottles. In addition, for types qualified with the ‘Vigna’ designation and the indication of the sub-area, only the use of natural corks is permitted.

Link to the product specification

https://www.politicheagricole.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/12402