Soil is a key component of terroir, influencing a vine's water supply, nutrition, root depth and ripening, and thus a wine's character. Famous wine soils include the chalk of Champagne and Chablis, the gravel of the Médoc, the slate of the Mosel, the galets of Châteauneuf and the volcanic soils of Etna and Santorini. Drainage, heat retention and mineral content all shape the grapes.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
While the direct transfer of 'minerality' from soil to glass is debated, soil's effect on vine vigour and water stress is real and profound. Knowing a wine's soils helps explain its structure, freshness and style.
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