Terrior "Abrau-Durso"
Russian collection champagne & Red matured sparkling wine
Vineyards "Abrau-Durso" are located on slopes of mountains at height of 130m above sea level. The area of fructifying vineyards makes 371 hectares. In 2007 eight hectares of young vineyards have been planted, rods have been received from nursery of the Austrian school of wine growing Tschida. By the end of 2007 it is also planned to plant 79 hectares.
The following grades of classical sparkling grapes are grown in AbrauDurso:
WHITE:
- Chardonnay: the French valuable wine variety of average ripeness period. The native land of this grapes - Burgundy. It makes about 1 % from all grapes which grow up in the world. It is a steady, strong grade. It is used in manufacturing of long-living white wines, and also for preparation of champagne wine materials of very high quality. Taste of wines from Chardonnay is gentle fruit, sometimes in it is present a vanilla shade of oak barrels.
- Pinot-Franc: the French wine variety of early ripeness period. It is used for preparation of champagne wine materials of very high quality.
- Pinot-Blanc: the Native land of a grade - France (Burgundy). It is widely spread in all winegrowing areas of the world, except for the extremely northern and extremely southern zones. Pinot-Blanc - the typical wine variety of an average ripeness period. At enough amount of heat for autumn months Pinot-Blanc is capable to high percent of sugar content at steady preservation of acidity. The crop is used for preparation of table wines and champagne wine materials of high quality.
- Riesling: the German valuable wine variety of average ripeness period. It is rather cold-resistant. It is used for preparation of the best table wines, high-quality champagne wine materials and grape juice. Riesling is considered one of the best varieties of grapes in the world, possessing high acidity. The endurance of maturing of wines made from Riesling, can count tens years
- Aligote: the French wine grade of average ripeness period. It is used for preparation of table wines, grape juice, champagnes and wine materials.
RED:
- Merlot: the French wine variety of average ripeness period. Thanks to small maintenance of tannins in this variety, Merlot gives more gentle early ripening wine. Except for France this grade is widespread in California, Italy and Bulgaria.
- Cabernet-Sauvignon: the French grape variety of average-late ripeness period. It is used for preparation of table wines and high-quality champagne wine materials. Cabernet - Sauvignon possesses the same popularity, as white variety Chardonnay. Its sated deep color of a thick skin makes wine dark and fragrant. The big content of tannin in a peel of berries allows to mature the wines made from this variety for a long period. Wines from Cabernet-Sauvignon are usually matured in oak barrels .
An outstanding Russian winemaker prince Lev Sergeevich Golitsyn repeated: "Grapes and wine are a product of district".
The success of sparkling wines "Abrau-Durso" is certainly connected with soil- climatic conditions of the given district, with so called terrioir.
Terrior
- is the set of soil-climatic factors and especial characteristics of district (a relief, a rose of winds, presence of water reservoirs, forest areas, surrounding fauna and flora), defining type and features of wine.
Frenchmen often use the term " taste of terrioir " for the description of shades in wines which in their opinion are provided directly with ground on which the rods grow.
The terrioirs of "Abrau-Durso" and provinces Champagne are very similar:
- The territory of Champagne more 70 million years ago has been covered by the sea that explains modern structure of ground. Cretaceous adjournment provide to vineyards of this region a good drainage and riches of mineral shades by which the best sparkling wines are so interesting..
- Soils of Abrau-Djurso are composed basically of limestones, chalky clay, gravels and the firm cement stone, that are the cretaceous adjournment of cretaceous and tertiary period when the bottom of ocean was here. The nearness of Black sea for "Abrau-Durso" is a fine regulator of temperature. The average annual temperature for many years of supervision is equal 11, 4oC (in a province Champagne - 10,0 oC ). Quantity of annual mean rainfall is equally 511 mm. The sum of active temperatures for a year - 3557oC.
The most important factor, which exerts an influence upon the quality of sparkling wines “Abrau-Durso” is the ecosystem of Peninsula Abrau, most part of which belongs to territory of the North-Caucasian wildlife refuge. The large forest areas, surrounding Abrau, partly smooth inconsistent influences of a continental climate, but frosts here are not a rarity. However, to such a unicue placement of wineyards and the long vegetative period champagne "AbrauDurso” is obliged by it’s aromatic subtlety.
