COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 3 August 2018

on the publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

of the single document referred to in Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and of the reference to the publication of the product specification for a name in the wine sector

(Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay/Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay (PDO))

(2018/C 277/03)

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) Germany has sent an application for protection of the name ‘Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay’/‘Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay’ in accordance with Section 2 of Chapter I of Title II of Part II of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

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

(3) In order to allow for the submission of statements of objection in accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the single document referred to in Article 94(1)(d) of that Regulation and the publication reference of the product specification made in the course of the preliminary national procedure for examining the application for protection of the name ‘Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay’/‘Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay’ should be published in the

Official Journal of the European Union

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The single document established in accordance with Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and the reference to the publication of the product specification for the name ‘Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay’/‘Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay’ (PDO) are contained in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the publication of this Decision shall confer the right to object to the protection of the name specified in the first paragraph of this Article within two months from the date of its publication in the

Official Journal of the European Union

Done at Brussels, 3 August 2018.

For the Commission

Phil HOGAN

Member of the Commission

(1)

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671

ANNEX

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay’/‘Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay’

PDO-DE-02081

Submission date of application: 26.3.2015

1. Name(s) to be registered

‘Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay’/‘Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay’

2. Geographical indication type

PDO — Protected designation of origin

3. Categories of grapevine products

Wine

Quality sparkling wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

Quality wine

White Riesling wines are matured on the Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay estate. There are three types of grapevine product, each with slightly different properties: quality wine (Qualitätswein), wine with special attributes (Prädikatswein) and quality sparkling wine from defined regions (Sekt b.A.).

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume):	15,0
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume):	11,5
Minimum total acidity:	5,0 in grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre):	1,08
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre):	250

Wine with special attributes (Prädikatswein), supplemented by: Auslese

Young Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay wines have a pale yellow, occasionally greenish colour which becomes more intense as the product ages before turning a rich, luscious golden colour once the wine has fully matured. The wines' aromas are defined by the interplay of fruity notes and hints of typical slate minerals. The more clayey sediment of deeper ocean strata give Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay (Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay) a taste which can often be described as ‘somewhat cooler’. The tingling micro-crystalline structure and minerals often dance so subtly and light-footedly on the tongue that they can be reminiscent of aromatic sea breezes. In certain years, it is even possible to taste the salty iodine of the sea. The above-described range of aromas and flavours has an underlying sweetness which is delicate in the case of Auslese wines.

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume):	41,0
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume):	5,5
Minimum total acidity:	7,0 in grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre):	2,1
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre):	350

Wine with special attributes (Prädikatswein), supplemented by: Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume):	41,0
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume):	5,5
Minimum total acidity:	70 in milliequivalents per litre
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre):	2,1
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre):	400

Quality sparkling wine from defined regions (Sekt b.A.)

The wines' aromas are defined by the interplay of fruity notes and hints of typical slate minerals. The more clayey sediment of deeper ocean strata give Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay (Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay) a taste which can often be described as ‘somewhat cooler’. The tingling micro-crystalline structure and minerals often dance so subtly and light-footedly on the tongue that they can be reminiscent of aromatic sea breezes. In certain years, it is even possible to taste the salty iodine of the sea. In the case of Sekt b.A. wines, the described range of aromas and flavours of Prädikatswein wines is enhanced and intensified by the carbon dioxide used in the production of sparkling wine.

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume):	13,5
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume):	11,5
Minimum total acidity:	5,0 in grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre):	1,08
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre):	185

5. Wine-making practices

a.

Essential oenological practices

Relevant restrictions on making the wines

The following are not permitted: potassium sorbate, lysozyme, dimethyl dicarbonate, electrodialysis, dealcoholisation, cation exchangers, concentration (cryoconcentration, osmosis, conical centrifuge column), sweetening with grape must, oak chips or preparations.

Quality wine

Specific oenological practice

At least 88 °Oechsle; maximum acidity = 7,5 g/l; fortification up to max. 14,0 % by volume.

Up to 100 °Oechsle and fortified wines: maximum residual sugar content = ‘semi-dry’ under wine law.

Over 100 °Oechsle: maximum residual sugar content = must weight/3

Wine with special attributes

Specific oenological practice

‘Auslese’: at least 105 °Oechsle; minimum residual sugar content = 90 g/l

‘Beerenauslese’: at least 130 °Oechsle; minimum residual sugar content = 150 g/l

‘Trockenbeerenauslese’: at least 180 °Oechsle; minimum residual sugar content = 180 g/l

‘Eiswein’: at least 130 °Oechsle; minimum residual sugar content = 150 g/l

Quality sparkling wine from defined regions

Specific oenological practice: traditional bottle fermentation

b.

Maximum yields

70 hectolitre per hectare

6. Demarcated area

Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay is part of the PDO ‘Mosel’ (registration No PDO-DE-A1270).

The Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay vineyards are located in the Winningen area of the rural district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate. The name ‘Blaufüßer Lay’ is recorded in the land register as an open field division. For over 10 years, its name has featured on labelling as an indication of the shale formation. The term ‘Blumslay’ (from Blaufüßer Lay – Blauslay – Blooslay – Blumslay), a dialect word which has found its way back into High German, refers to a lookout point atop the vineyards. The area begins with parcel 2219/1 and ends downstream with parcels 2179, 2181/1, 2186, 2190, 2189/2.

Products bearing the PDO ‘Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay’ may be produced in the registered ‘Mosel’ PDO area (registration No PDO-DE-A1270). The demarcated area is located within the Mosel PDO.

The Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay estate covers an area of 1,96 ha

7. Main wine grapes

Weißer Riesling

8. Description of the link(s)

The Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay vineyards are embedded in the terraced landscape of the Lower Mosel. The Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay terraces are arranged in a traditional configuration with a south-westerly orientation and are located at an altitude of between approx. 75 m and 210 m above sea level. At 11,6 °C, the average temperature over the past five years has been relatively high, as would be expected at such a low altitude. The low levels of rainfall (approx. 620 mm) and the high number of hours of sunshine (1 922) produce a microclimate which is quite different from the other ‘Mosel’ PDO areas and is responsible for the particular maturity of the grapes (high potential alcoholic strength with low acidity and mature phenols). The wines are said to be highly expressive and to have a very full flavour. The particular geological conditions of the Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay region significantly help the grapes to achieve physiological maturity and shape the individual flavour of the wines that are grown there.

Within the geological time scale, Uhlen Blaufüßer Lay comes under the Devonian system, Lower Devonian series. More specifically, the area consists of sediments from the Oberems/Laubach sub-levels and older sediments from the Laubach levels. The increasing depth of the sea is visible in the thickening dark silt and slate packages. The weathered rocky soil resulting from these sediments constitute a regosol of different types of clay-rich and silty shale. The higher clay content of the soil compared to neighbouring PDOs induce a higher field capacity and a lower average soil temperature in lower strata. As a result, there are considerable organoleptic differences compared to neighbouring PDOs. Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay has a lower share of fruity components within its generally muted bouquet. The resulting mineral, olfactory impression continues in the palate with a sensation most often described as ‘fine, cool, clear’.

The human influence is based on a wine-growing tradition that goes back thousands of years. The art of planting vineyards on terraces supported by dry stone walls can be traced back to Roman times. In AD 380 the Roman poet Ausonius described such constructions as ‘amphitheatres’. The discovery of Roman coins in the terraces, which were presumably intended as offerings, is further evidence of this practice. Wine has been grown in the area ever since. Over the centuries the quality of production has been constantly improved through the development of new varieties of grape (since the early 19th century the Riesling variety) and new ways of training them (in bushes, on stakes or in wire frames). In recent decades, growing environmental awareness has mainly resulted in less and less use being made of highly soluble mineral fertilisers. The natural microflora and microfauna populations have returned to the soil as a result, causing both nutrient absorption and cation exchange processes to take place increasingly as a result of the incorporation of complex molecules interacting symbiotically with microbes found on the root hairs. These microbes can be used as transmitters between the specific organic substances and minerals contained in the soil, thus making the flavour of the wine even more unique.

The link described above applies equally to quality sparkling wine from defined regions.

9. Essential further conditions

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The information to be provided on the labels and packaging is defined by the laws and regulations in force of the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. Before the traditional terms associated with this designation of origin may be used on its label, the wine must have passed an official inspection. Only wines which have met the specific requirements in the context of that official inspection are issued with official inspection numbers, each comprising several digits (an ‘AP number’) indicating the inspection body, the holding number, the number of wines submitted for inspection and the year in which they were submitted or in which the inspection number was issued. The inspection number must be indicated on the label. The traditional terms ‘Qualitätswein’, ‘Prädikatswein’ and ‘Sekt b.A.’ are associated with the designation of origin and may replace the designation ‘PDO’.

Link to the product specification

http://www.ble.de/DE/04_Programme/09_EU-Qualitaetskennzeichen/02_EUBezeichnungenWein/Antraege.html?nn=3057588