COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 30 November 2018

on the publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

of an application for amendment of a specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Tierra de León (PDO))

(2018/C 439/04)

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) Spain has sent an application for amendment of the specification for the name ‘Tierra de León’ in accordance with Article 105 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. The amendment includes the change of name from ‘Tierra de León’ to ‘León’.

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

(3) In order to allow for the presentation of statements of opposition in accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the application for amendment of the specification for the name ‘Tierra de León’ should be published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The application for amendment of the specification for the name ‘Tierra de León’ (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, the publication of this Decision confers the right to oppose the amendment of the specification referred to in the first paragraph of this Article within two months of the date of its publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

.

Done at Brussels, 30 November 2018.

For the Commission

Phil HOGAN

Member of the Commission

(1)  

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671

.

ANNEX

‘TIERRA DE LEÓN’

PDO-ES-A0882-AM02

Date of application: 13.3.2017

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 and reasons for amendment

Amendment to the name of the PDO:

The name of the PDO is to be changed from ‘Tierra de León’ to ‘León’, affecting both the specifications and the Single Document in all the instances in both texts where that name appears.

The extreme competitiveness on the current wine market, together with the phonetic and written confusion between the names of our designation of origin, ‘Tierra de León’, and the PGI Vino de la Tierra de ‘Castilla y León’, which, according to the current regulations, can be labelled as ‘Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León’, make it very difficult for us to communicate to consumers the differences between the wines of those two levels, despite the fact that our wines have some indigenous grape varieties such as Prieto Picudo and Albarín blanco. This is the case even despite the fact that climate and soil conditions and growing practices have been perfectly defined and embedded among our producers and in our area for centuries.

The name ‘León’, which is to be used for the Designation of Origin, is perfectly concise and specific to the production area protected; it is in line with the boundaries of all the municipalities and sub-districts of the area and makes it possible to keep intact the existing link between the product protected and the very particular conditions that have defined it historically.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1.   

Registered name

León

2.   

Geographical indication type

PDO — Protected Designation of Origin

3.   

Categories of grapevine products

1.

Wine

4.   

Description of the wine(s)

WINE — White wines

The white wines made from the Albarín Blanco, Verdejo and Godello grape varieties have great taste and aromatic balance, and are both fresh and complex.

Total minimum alcoholic strength: 10,5 % vol.

General analytical characteristics

WINE — Rosé wines

The Prieto Picudo rosé wines are very aromatic, fresh (high natural acidity), and in the mouth have considerable body and structure (balance between alcohol and acidity).

Total minimum alcoholic strength: 11 % vol.

General analytical characteristics

WINE — Red wines

Reds: marked intensity of colour, aromatics (red and black fruits), meaty and full-bodied, slightly astringent and long.

Total minimum alcoholic strength: 11,5 % vol.

General analytical characteristics

WINE — Aged red wines

Aged red wines retain the characteristics of the grape variety (P Picudo), but have more complexity, are less astringent, and are balanced, tannic and have a long finish.

Total minimum alcoholic strength: 12 % vol.

General analytical characteristics

5.   

Winemaking practices

a.   

Essential oenological practices

Specific oenological practice

— Probable minimum strength of the grape: 11,5 % (red), 10,5 % (white).

— Maximum yield of extraction: 74 l per 100 kg of grapes.

— For wines which are going to use the label ‘CRIANZA’, ‘RESERVA’ or ‘GRAN RESERVA’, oak barrels must be used with a maximum capacity of 330 l, and these may be no more than 10 years old.

Restriction relevant to vinification

— The white wines must be produced using a minimum of 50 % of the white grape varieties Verdejo, Albarín blanco and Godello.

— The rosé wines must be produced using a minimum of 60 % of Prieto Picudo and/or Mencia, with the remaining 40 % consisting of authorised grape varieties (white and/or red).

— The red wines must be produced using a minimum of 60 % of the red grape varieties Prieto Picudo and/or Mencía.

Cultivation practice

Planting density must be between 1 100 and 4 000 stocks per hectare.

b.   

Maximum yields

Bushed white varieties

7 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

Bushed white varieties

51,80 hectolitres per hectare

White varieties on the vine

10 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

White varieties on the vine

74 hectolitres per hectare

Bushed red varieties

6 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

Bushed red varieties

44,44 hectolitres per hectare

Red varieties on the vine

8 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare

Red varieties on the vine

59,20 hectolitres per hectare

6.   

Demarcated area

The geographical area of the PDO ‘LEÓN’ is situated in the south of the province of León, and includes part of the province of Valladolid; it borders the provinces of Zamora and Palencia and has an area of 3 317 km

2

. It includes the following municipalities:

—   Province of León:

Algadefe, Alija del Infantado, Antigua (La), Ardón, Armunia (Pd.), Bañeza (La), Bercianos del Páramo, Bercianos del Real Camino, Burgo Ranero (El), Cabreros del Río, Calzada del Coto, Campazas, Campo de Villavidel, Castilfalé, Castrocalbón, Castrotierra de Valmadrigal, Cebrones del Río, Cimanes de la Vega, Corbillos de los Oteros, Cubillas de los Oteros, Chozas de Abajo, Fresno de la Vega, Fuentes de Carvajal, Gordaliza del Pino, Gordoncillo, Grajal de Campos, Gusendos de los Oteros, Izagre, Joarilla de las Matas, Laguna de Negrillos, Matadeón de los Oteros, Matanza, Onzonilla, Pajares de los Oteros, Palacios de la Valduerna, Pobladura de Pelayo García, Pozuelo del Páramo, Quintana del Marco, Quintana y Congosto, Riego de la Vega, Roperuelos del Páramo, Sahagún, San Adrián del Valle, San Esteban de Nogales, San Millán de los Caballeros, Santa Cristina de Valmadrigal, Santa Elena de Jamuz, Santa María del Monte Cea, Santas Martas, Santovenia de la Valdoncina, Toral de los Guzmanes, Valdemora, Valderas, Valdevimbre, Valencia de Don Juan, Valverde Enrique, Vallecillo, Vega de Infanzones, Villabraz, Villademor de la Vega, Villamandos, Villamañán, Villamontán de la Valduerna, Villamoratiel de las Matas, Villanueva de las Manzanas, Villaornate y Castro, Villaquejida, Villaturiel and Zotes del Páramo.

—   Province of Valladolid:

Becilla de Valderaduey, Bustillo de Chaves, Cabezón de Valderaduey, Castrobol, Castroponce, Cuenca de Campos, Mayorga, Melgar de Abajo, Melgar de Arriba, Monasterio de Vega, Quintanilla del Molar, Roales de Campos, Saelices de Mayorga, Santervas de Campos, Unión de Campos (La), Valdunquillo, Villacid de Campos, Villagómez la Nueva and Villalba de la Loma.

The ageing area for the wines of the ‘LEÓN’ PDO is the same as the production area.

7.   

Main wine grapes

 

ALBARIN BLANCO

 

PRIETO PICUDO

 

MENCIA

 

VERDEJO

 

GODELLO

8.   

Description of the link(s)

WINE

A continental climate featuring a harsh and lengthy winter period, a short summer of alternating very hot and dry days and cold days, precipitation at around 500 mm and high sunshine levels, high average altitude, soil poor in organic matter and a specific range of grape varieties, particularly the Prieto Picudo variety, enable wine-makers to produce wines of great aromatic intensity, with highly balanced acidity and a long finish.

9.   

Essential further conditions

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Packaging in the demarcated area

Description of the condition:

In view of the fact that the bottling of the wines protected by the ‘León’ PDO is one of the critical points for safeguarding the characteristics acquired during the manufacturing and ageing process, this must be carried out in the cellars located in the production area, in their bottling facilities.

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The label may use the traditional term ‘DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN’, instead of ‘PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN’

It is mandatory to indicate the vintage year on the label, including for wines that have not been aged.

The red wines may use the following traditional terms on the label: ‘CRIANZA’‘RESERVA’ and ‘GRAN RESERVA’, provided that the conditions laid down in the applicable legislation are met.

10.   

Link to the product specification

http://www.itacyl.es/opencms_wf/opencms/informacion_al_ciudadano/calidad_alimentaria/7_vinicos/index.html