Ραψάνη (Rapsani)

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The viticultural production zone of Rapsani is traversed by the Pineios river and the Vale of Tempi, and is bordered to the north by forested areas of the lower Olympus range, reaching an altitude of 1,587 metres.
• To the south, the zone is bordered by forested areas of Mount Ossa, which rises to 1,978 metres, and by the Pineios river, while to the east it is influenced by the marine environment of the Thermaic Gulf.
• The vineyard extends across the southern slopes of Olympus at elevations of up to 800 metres, descending to the Vale of Tempi, with a south-easterly aspect and slope gradients ranging from 2% to 20%.
• The soils of the area display considerable textural diversity, encompassing six categories ranging from very heavy (2.6%) to very light sandy (2.6%), with pH values between 4.24 and 8.17.

• The quality reputation of the wines of Rapsani is rooted in the philosophy of Law 5506/1932 and the first Ministerial Decision no. 110822/16.09.32, which recognised and protected the first Greek wines of designated origin.
• During the nineteenth century, the people of Rapsani undertook the replanting of the vineyard, transforming the barren mountain slopes into vineyards that produced the wines of Rapsani.
• The varietal composition of the vineyard within the PDO Rapsani production zone comprises the varieties Xinomavro, Krasato, and Stavroto.

• The PDO Rapsani red wine gains in quality with each passing year and is capable of long ageing, a property rare among Greek wines that places it among the great wines on a global scale.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Greece

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — ypaat
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-GR-A0116
• Official trade body site — ΕΔΟΑΟ — Εθνική Διεπαγγελματική Οργάνωση Αμπέλου & Οίνου