# C_2020042EN.01002201.xml

| 7.2.2020 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 42/22 |
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7.2.2020

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 42/22

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Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to the product specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 17(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33

(2020/C 42/06)

This notice is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1).

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’

Reference number: PDO-FR-A0494-AM01

Date of communication: 14.11.2019

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1.   Supplementary geographical names

Four new geographical names have been recognised for the ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ designation: ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Goulaine’, ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’ (Article 120(1)(g) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013).

These changes have led to amendments to the following sections of Chapter 1 of the specification (dealing with the provisions relating to the supplementary geographical names of the ‘Muscadet Sèvre and Maine’ designation, the four new names incorporating the specific provisions of the existing ones):

| — | II(2) on the geographical names; |
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II(2) on the geographical names;

| — | IV(1)(b) on the geographical area; |
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IV(1)(b) on the geographical area;

| — | IV(2)(b) on the demarcated parcel area; |
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IV(2)(b) on the demarcated parcel area;

| — | IV(3)(b) on the area in immediate proximity; |
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IV(3)(b) on the area in immediate proximity;

| — | VI(1)(b) on pruning rules; |
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VI(1)(b) on pruning rules;

| — | VI(1)(d) on the maximum load per parcel; |
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VI(1)(d) on the maximum load per parcel;

| — | VII(2)(a) on grape sugar content; |
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VII(2)(a) on grape sugar content;

| — | VII(2)(b) on the minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume; |
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VII(2)(b) on the minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume;

| — | VIII(1) on the yield; |
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VIII(1) on the yield;

| — | VIII(2)(b) on the entry into production of young vines; |
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VIII(2)(b) on the entry into production of young vines;

| — | IX(2)(b) and (c) on ageing on the lees; |
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IX(2)(b) and (c) on ageing on the lees;

| — | IX(3)(d) on packaging at the wineries; |
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IX(3)(d) on packaging at the wineries;

| — | IX(5) on the marketing date; |
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IX(5) on the marketing date;

| — | XII(2)(c) on stating the vintage. |
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XII(2)(c) on stating the vintage.

These changes have led to amendments to the following sections of Chapter 2 of the specification (dealing with the provisions relating to the supplementary geographical names of the ‘Muscadet Sèvre and Maine’ designation, the four new names incorporating the specific provisions of the existing ones):

| — | I(1) on the declaration of parcel assignment; |
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I(1) on the declaration of parcel assignment;

| — | I(2) on the claim declaration; |
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I(2) on the claim declaration;

| — | I(4)(b) on the declaration of packaging. |
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I(4)(b) on the declaration of packaging.

These four new additional geographical names are specific areas:

| — | ‘Château-Thébaud’ which, due to its western location on the promontories bordering the river Maine, has a climate favourable to early growth. Its soils, the legacy of gneiss and granodiorite rocks, allow the vines to root deeply, and produce musts rich in organic acids which, after a long ageing period, promote the production of fine and tense wines with great freshness and minerality; |
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‘Château-Thébaud’ which, due to its western location on the promontories bordering the river Maine, has a climate favourable to early growth. Its soils, the legacy of gneiss and granodiorite rocks, allow the vines to root deeply, and produce musts rich in organic acids which, after a long ageing period, promote the production of fine and tense wines with great freshness and minerality;

| — | ‘Goulaine’, where the land, developed on almost unaltered metamorphic rocks, has a climate that is strongly tempered by the proximity of the Loire and the marshes. This encourages rapid ripening of the grapes which, thanks to being harvested early at full ripeness, produce expressive, balanced and flexible wines with aromas of fresh and dried fruit; |
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‘Goulaine’, where the land, developed on almost unaltered metamorphic rocks, has a climate that is strongly tempered by the proximity of the Loire and the marshes. This encourages rapid ripening of the grapes which, thanks to being harvested early at full ripeness, produce expressive, balanced and flexible wines with aromas of fresh and dried fruit;

| — | ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, situated on the ridges and hillsides bordering the Sèvre, where the soils developed on gneiss with low acidity, loose or altered, cause slow ripening, allowing the grapes to become very ripe, the basis for full and powerful wines with ripe fruit notes tending towards candied fruit; |
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‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, situated on the ridges and hillsides bordering the Sèvre, where the soils developed on gneiss with low acidity, loose or altered, cause slow ripening, allowing the grapes to become very ripe, the basis for full and powerful wines with ripe fruit notes tending towards candied fruit;

| — | ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, in the east of the winegrowing area, where the interaction between a more continental climate and sandy-clayey soils formed on gabbro rocks with little alteration favours accelerated ripening, resulting in wines which after careful ageing have intense aromas recalling brioche, spice, fruits and flowers. |
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‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, in the east of the winegrowing area, where the interaction between a more continental climate and sandy-clayey soils formed on gabbro rocks with little alteration favours accelerated ripening, resulting in wines which after careful ageing have intense aromas recalling brioche, spice, fruits and flowers.

The Single Document has been amended accordingly.

2.   Geographical area

The revision of the geographical area of the ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ designation results in:

| — | the inclusion of two municipalities (Remouillé, Saint-Hilaire-de-Clisson) and six part-municipalities (Le Bignon, Getigné, Montbert, Les Sorinières, Cugand, Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay), all of which come from the geographical area of the ‘Muscadet’ regional designation; |
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the inclusion of two municipalities (Remouillé, Saint-Hilaire-de-Clisson) and six part-municipalities (Le Bignon, Getigné, Montbert, Les Sorinières, Cugand, Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay), all of which come from the geographical area of the ‘Muscadet’ regional designation;

| — | the exclusion of a part-municipality (Le Loroux-Bottereau) following efforts to limit wine-growing to areas with a high quality. |
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the exclusion of a part-municipality (Le Loroux-Bottereau) following efforts to limit wine-growing to areas with a high quality.

In addition, editorial changes have been made: the new list of administrative entities takes account of mergers of, or other changes to, administrative divisions since the specification was approved. For greater legal certainty, the list follows the current version of the Official Geographical Code, updated yearly by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).

The Single Document concerning the geographical area and the link to the origin has been amended accordingly.

3.   Demarcated parcel area

In section IV(2) of Chapter 1 of the product specification, the words ‘and 20 June 2018’ have been added after ‘19 May 2011’ and the words ‘and 3 May 2017’ have been added after ‘10 February 2011’.

The purpose of this amendment is to add the date on which the competent national authority approved a modification of the demarcated parcel area within the geographical area of production. The demarcation of the parcel area identifies the land within the geographical area that is suitable for growing the material for this Protected Designation of Origin.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

4.   Area in immediate proximity

The area in immediate proximity has been updated following the merger of certain municipalities and the revision of the geographical area. The overall winemaking area for the designation has not changed.

Point 9 of the Single Document, ‘Further conditions’, has been amended accordingly.

5.   Agri-environment rule

The following has been added to point VI(2) of Chapter 1: ‘The vegetation, sown or spontaneous, in all the spaces between the rows of vines intended for the production of wines eligible for the supplementary geographical names ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’, ‘Goulaine’, ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’ and ‘Le Pallet’ is controlled by mechanical or physical means.’

This amendment reflects current developments in the practices of operators promoting conservation agriculture. It takes into account growing concern for the environment as part of technical procedures. By encouraging mechanised weeding, the amendment aims to reduce the use of chemical herbicides.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

6.   Transport

A new point (b) ‘Specific provisions for the transport of the grape harvest’ has been added to VII(1):

‘The grape harvest intended for the production of wines eligible for the supplementary geographical names ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’, ‘Goulaine’, ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’ and ‘Le Pallet’ is protected from rain during transport from the place of harvest site to the pressing site and, to avoid any compaction, the maximum weight of grapes per tipper is 8 000 kg.’

Limiting the weight of grapes in the tippers allows the deterioration of the grapes during transport to be kept to a minimum, ensuring the maximum quality for the supplementary geographical names.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

7.   Winemaking practices

In IX(1) the sentence ‘They remain on their fine winemaking lees at the time of packing or when first dispatched from the winery.’ has been added.

Keeping wines on their fine lees makes it possible to give the products their typical roundness. This makes it possible to assert and strengthen the segmentation of the different Muscadet designations.

The Single Document has been amended accordingly with respect to wine-making practices.

8.   Heat treatment

The ban on subjecting the wine to heat treatment at temperatures of more than 40 °C has been removed. This amendment is intended to allow the operators to use all the technical means available to manage the effects of difficult years that typically cause sensory deviations such as an earthy-musty taste. The technique of heating the must, known as ‘thermovinification’, has proved to be much less perturbing in terms of impoverishing the wine than using mesoporous oenological carbon.

This ban is maintained for the seven additional geographical names.

The Single Document has been amended accordingly with respect to wine-making practices.

9.   Packaging

The end of the packaging period for wines marked ‘sur lie’ [aged on the lees] is extended from 30 November to 31 December. This amendment makes it possible to extend the bottling period of such wines by a month in order to optimise the marketing period of this category without changing the roundness and slight effervescence associated with that marking.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

10.   Circulation of wines

Point 5(b) of section IX of Chapter 1 concerning the date of entry into circulation of the wines between authorised warehouses has been deleted.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

11.   Link

The link has been revised to include references to the four new supplementary geographical names.

The Single Document on the link with the geographical area has been amended accordingly.

12.   Labelling

Two new points have been added in section XII(2):

| ‘b) | The supplementary geographical names shall be included in the same visual field as the name of the controlled designation of origin. The dimensions of the characters that make them up are equal, in height or width or thickness, to those of the characters composing the name of the controlled designation of origin.’ |
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‘b)

The supplementary geographical names shall be included in the same visual field as the name of the controlled designation of origin. The dimensions of the characters that make them up are equal, in height or width or thickness, to those of the characters composing the name of the controlled designation of origin.’

| ‘d) | Wines not eligible for a supplementary geographical name may specify a smaller geographical unit on their label, provided that: |
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‘d)

Wines not eligible for a supplementary geographical name may specify a smaller geographical unit on their label, provided that:

| — | it is a registered location; |
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it is a registered location;

| — | it appears on the harvest declaration. |
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it appears on the harvest declaration.

The place name must be printed in letters no larger, in height or width or thickness, than half the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin. It must appear in the same visual field as the name of the controlled designation of origin.’

Point 9 of the Single Document, ‘Further conditions’, has been amended accordingly.

13.   Reporting requirements

The time limit for submitting a claim statement has changed from 15 to 31 December.

The prior declaration of transaction has been changed into a prior declaration of dispatch.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

14.   Withdrawal

The details of the declaration of withdrawal have been specified.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

15.   Records

Editorial changes have been made as regards record keeping.

| — | In section II(2) of Chapter II:






  — | point (b), the words ‘until the date of submitting their claim statement’ and ‘the acidity of the must’ have been deleted; |
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In section II(2) of Chapter II:

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point (b), the words ‘until the date of submitting their claim statement’ and ‘the acidity of the must’ have been deleted;

| — | point (c), the word ‘book’ is replaced by ‘records’; |
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point (c), the word ‘book’ is replaced by ‘records’;

| — | point (d), the word ‘book’ is replaced by ‘records’ and the words ‘or releasing wines of the controlled designation of origin for consumption’ have been deleted. |
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point (d), the word ‘book’ is replaced by ‘records’ and the words ‘or releasing wines of the controlled designation of origin for consumption’ have been deleted.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

16.   Main points to be checked

Chapter 3 has been updated to harmonise the drafting of the main points to be checked in specifications from the Nantes area.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1.   Name of the product

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

2.   Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

3.   Categories of grapevine product

1. Wine

4.   Description of the wine(s)

The wines are still, dry white wines.

The wines have:

| — | a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %;






  — | a maximum fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) of 3 grams per litre; |
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a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %;

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a maximum fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) of 3 grams per litre;

| — | a maximum volatile acid content of 10 milliequivalents per litre; |
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a maximum volatile acid content of 10 milliequivalents per litre;

| — | a maximum total alcoholic strength by volume, after enrichment, of 12 %.
  The wines comply with the limits on total acidity content, total sulphur dioxide content and total actual alcoholic strength laid down in EU legislation. The wines are still, dry white wines.
  They have a delicate balance of taste between roundness and freshness and develop a complex bouquet of aromas with dominant fruity or floral notes.
  Prolonged maturation gives them good ageing qualities.
  They are carefully bottled to preserve and enhance their aromatic richness.






  General analytical characteristics |
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| Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) | |
| Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) | |
| Minimum total acidity | |
| Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) | |
| Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre) | |

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a maximum total alcoholic strength by volume, after enrichment, of 12 %.

The wines comply with the limits on total acidity content, total sulphur dioxide content and total actual alcoholic strength laid down in EU legislation. The wines are still, dry white wines.

They have a delicate balance of taste between roundness and freshness and develop a complex bouquet of aromas with dominant fruity or floral notes.

Prolonged maturation gives them good ageing qualities.

They are carefully bottled to preserve and enhance their aromatic richness.

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)

Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)

Minimum total acidity

Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)

Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

5.   Wine-making practices

a.   Essential oenological practices

Growing method

The minimum planting density of the vines is 6 500 plants per hectare.

The distance between the rows is 1,50 metres or less, and the spacing between plants in the same row is between 0,90 and 1,10 metres.

The vines are pruned with a maximum of 12 buds per plant:

| — | either short pruning with a maximum of 5 spurs per plant |
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either short pruning with a maximum of 5 spurs per plant

| — | or by means of simple or double Guyot. |
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or by means of simple or double Guyot.

Pruning is carried out before the budding stage or stage 5 on the Eichhorn and Lorenz scale.

Regardless of the pruning method, the vines can be pruned with four additional buds per plant on condition that, at the phenological stage corresponding to 11 or 12 leaves, there are no more than 12 fruit-bearing branches for the year per plant.

Specific oenological practice

Any heat treatment of the harvest at a temperature below – 5 °C is prohibited.

After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume does not exceed 12 %.

They are aged on their fine winemaking lees at the end of alcoholic fermentation and at least until 1 March of the year following harvest. They remain on their fine winemaking lees at the time of packing or when first dispatched from the winery.

In addition to the above provisions, the oenological practices concerning these wines meet the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.

b.   Maximum yields

66 hectolitres per hectare

6.   Demarcated geographical area

All stages of the production must take place within the geographical area approved by the National Institute of Origin and Quality at the meeting of the competent national committee on 15 June 2017. The perimeter of this area, on the date of approval of this specification by the competent national committee, comprises the territory of the following municipalities, based on the 2018 Official Geographic Code:

| — | Department of Loire-Atlantique: Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine, Basse-Goulaine, Le Bignon (partly), La Chapelle-Heulin, Château-Thébaud, Clisson, Divatte-sur-Loire (only for the territory of the delegated municipality of La Chapelle-Basse Mer), Gétigné (partly), Gorges, La Haie-Fouassière, Haute-Goulaine, Le Landreau, Le Loroux-Bottereau (partly), Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, Monnières, Montbert (partly), Mouzillon, Le Pallet, La Regrippière, Remouillé, Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine, Saint-Hilaire-de-Clisson, Saint-Julien-de-Concelles, Saint-Lumine-de-Clisson, Les Sorinières (partly), Vallet, Vertou; |
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Department of Loire-Atlantique: Aigrefeuille-sur-Maine, Basse-Goulaine, Le Bignon (partly), La Chapelle-Heulin, Château-Thébaud, Clisson, Divatte-sur-Loire (only for the territory of the delegated municipality of La Chapelle-Basse Mer), Gétigné (partly), Gorges, La Haie-Fouassière, Haute-Goulaine, Le Landreau, Le Loroux-Bottereau (partly), Maisdon-sur-Sèvre, Monnières, Montbert (partly), Mouzillon, Le Pallet, La Regrippière, Remouillé, Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine, Saint-Hilaire-de-Clisson, Saint-Julien-de-Concelles, Saint-Lumine-de-Clisson, Les Sorinières (partly), Vallet, Vertou;

| — | Department of Maine-et-Loire: Sèvremoine (only for the territory of the delegated municipalities of Saint Crespin-sur-Moine and Tillières). |
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Department of Maine-et-Loire: Sèvremoine (only for the territory of the delegated municipalities of Saint Crespin-sur-Moine and Tillières).

| — | Department of Vendée: Cugand (partly), Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay (partly). |
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Department of Vendée: Cugand (partly), Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay (partly).

7.   Main wine grape varieties

Melon B

8.   Description of the link(s)

Information on the geographical area

Description of the natural factors relevant to the link

The wine-growing area for the registered designation of origin ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ is characterised by a hilly landscape linked to a particularly dense hydrographic network. East of the city of Nantes, on the slopes overlooking the Loire and the Goulaine marshes or further south on the slopes of the Sèvre, the Maine and their tributaries, the vineyard parcels occupy the hillsides and shape the countryside. This area forms the central part of the geographical area for the ‘Muscadet’ AOC and covers part of the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire and Vendée.

Strongly influenced by the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, the area’s climate does however have some nuances. The generally very mild winters are particularly temperate to the north, near the Loire and the Goulaine marshes, where the supplementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’ is located, and to the west, the site of the supplementary geographical name ‘Château-Thébaud’, which is more subject to oceanic influences. The winters are significantly colder towards the south-east, where the supplementary geographical names ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, ‘Gorges’ and ‘Clisson’ are situated, as these areas are further away from the Loire and the marshes. The summers generally remain cool due to the ocean breezes, with below average rainfall and long hours of sunshine.

The geological structure of the geographical area reveals a great variety of rocks from the Paleozoic era:

| — | micaschists dominate in the north and north-east, associated, on the edge of the Goulaine marshes, with gneiss interspersed with bands of greenstone, both metamorphic rocks which form the basis of the supplementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’; |
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micaschists dominate in the north and north-east, associated, on the edge of the Goulaine marshes, with gneiss interspersed with bands of greenstone, both metamorphic rocks which form the basis of the supplementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’;

| — | to the east there is a major gabbro massif which forms the geological backbone of the supplementary geographical name ‘Gorges’ and stretches along the river Sanguèze, where the supplementary geographical name ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’ takes over; |
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to the east there is a major gabbro massif which forms the geological backbone of the supplementary geographical name ‘Gorges’ and stretches along the river Sanguèze, where the supplementary geographical name ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’ takes over;

| — | the western part of the geographical area rests on a substratum composed mainly of orthogenesis, low-acid gneiss and a granodiorite which make up the base of the ‘Château-Thébaud’ supplementary geographical name; |
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the western part of the geographical area rests on a substratum composed mainly of orthogenesis, low-acid gneiss and a granodiorite which make up the base of the ‘Château-Thébaud’ supplementary geographical name;

| — | at the centre of the geographical area, the supplementary geographical name ‘Le Pallet’ is located in a sector where the rocks are poorly altered and heavily cracked, while the gneiss rocks on which the vineyards of the complementary geographical name ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’ stand often have a more altered facies; |
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at the centre of the geographical area, the supplementary geographical name ‘Le Pallet’ is located in a sector where the rocks are poorly altered and heavily cracked, while the gneiss rocks on which the vineyards of the complementary geographical name ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’ stand often have a more altered facies;

| — | in the south, a fault isolates a large-grain granite massif characteristic of the supplementary geographical name ‘Clisson’. |
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in the south, a fault isolates a large-grain granite massif characteristic of the supplementary geographical name ‘Clisson’.

In places the primary base is covered by sandy-clayey sediments more or less rich in pebbles.

In spite of their diversity these formations are often the basis for brown, well-drained sandy and stony brown soils, sometimes enriched in clays on the underlying layers composed of gabbros. The parcel area where the grapes are harvested consists of well-defined parcels which have well-filtered soils with a good heat-retaining capacity, a limited water-retention capacity and moderate chemical fertility.

Description of the human factors relevant to the geographical link

St Martin, a monk and founder of Vertou Abbey in the sixth century, was the first to organise viticulture on the hillsides of the Sèvre and Maine. The development of vineyards continued throughout the Middle Ages along the navigable stretches of these two rivers, allowing in particular the early growth of the vineyards making up the supplementary geographical names ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Le Pallet’. From the 16th century onwards, at the instigation of the international traders in Nantes, the Melon B variety became the vine most planted in the region. The name ‘Muscadet’ appears for the first time in 1635, on a lease contract preserved in Gorges. At the end of the 18th century the parish of Monnières already had almost two-thirds of its land under vines, proof of the region’s wine specialisation.

Following the destruction of vineyards on the fringes of the Vendée wars in 1793-1794, and then the damage caused by phylloxera, wine-growers adopted new techniques such as planting in rows and the Guyot pruning method. Since then, production know-how has been well codified with winegrowers using Melon B as the sole variety, maintaining a high planting density, checking the vines’ growth and limiting their yield, and harvesting the grapes once fully ripened.

To produce richer and more complex wines, the operators adopted a particular technical winemaking procedure known as the ‘Nantes method’, which consists in keeping the wines on fine winemaking lees for at least one winter without any racking. This knowhow stems from the winegrowers’ habit of keeping a barrel of their best wine on the lees to celebrate family events the following spring. It is an ageing method that makes for round and unctuous wines, as they are enriched, in particular, with mannoproteins and other compounds resulting from the autolysis of yeast cell walls. Moreover, this method, based on letting the wines rest and keeping them in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, which strongly limits oxidation and the release of volatile compounds, allows the wines to preserve the aromas formed during the alcoholic fermentation until the spring and beyond. During the cellar operations the wines are also enriched with tertiary aromas. The grapes, musts and wines produced by the Melon B variety contain a significant concentration of precursors of glycosidic aromas. These molecules, formed from aglycones related to sugars, are normally odourless, but the breaking of the β-glucosidic linkages due to various chemical and enzymatic processes creates strongly odorous compounds, mainly of monoterpenes and C13-norisoprenoids, with the formation in particular of β-damascone, a substance known for its major role in fruity wine aromas. The operators have acquired special expertise in protecting the wines from oxidation in the vat and bottling them with care, so that their fragrances can continue to be released as long as possible, making for more complex wines. These customs are sometimes adapted to the changes in the environment, such as the very late harvesting of grapes in the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, the preservation of a high rate of organic acids in the musts for the supplementary geographical names ‘Gorges’ and ‘Château-Thébaud’, the early harvesting of the complementary geographical name ‘Goulaine’ or the practice of keeping wines for long periods on their fine wine-making lees for the best cuvées. The wines with a supplementary geographical name are aged on their lees until they are packaged. They are bottled directly at the winery so as to limit the risks of oxidation and reduce the loss of aromas.

From 1925, seeking to preserve their wines’ quality and renown, the producers in the municipality of La Haie-Fouassière and the surrounding area obtained, through the courts, permission to declare their wines under the name ‘Muscadet Grands Crus de Sèvre et Maine’. The AOC ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ was recognised in 1936. The traditional term ‘sur lie’ was given specific rules in 1977, and since 1994 it has resulted in the bottling of wines during the year following the year of harvesting, in the wineries where vinification took place, to keep racking and decanting to a minimum.

The geographical area now has a very marked wine-growing specialisation, and several municipalities devote a large part of their land to growing only Melon B vines. With about 8 000 hectares operated by 600 producers in 2016, the AOC ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ wines account for almost 70 % of the volume marketed in all the AOCs of the Nantes wine-growing area. More than half of these wines are marked ‘sur lie’.

Information on the quality and characteristics of the product

The wines with the registered designation of origin ‘Muscadet Sèvre et Maine’ are still, dry white wines. They have a delicate balance of taste between roundness and freshness and develop a complex bouquet of aromas with dominant fruity or floral notes. They are carefully bottled to preserve and strengthen their aromatic richness.

The wines with the endorsement ‘sur lie’ are balanced in the mouth, tending more towards roundness; they have a more complex bouquet and they may be slightly sparkling due to the residual carbon dioxide formed during the alcoholic fermentation. To preserve their freshness, aromatic richness and endogenous carbon dioxide, the wines are protected from oxidation during ageing. Their carbon dioxide content being too high for them to be packed in flexible containers, the wines are bottled and particular care is required during bottling.

Prolonged maturation can make the wines suitable for ageing, for example those with a supplementary geographical name:

| — | ‘Château-Thébaud’, the wines of which are usually characterised by the finesse and elegance of their bouquet, varying between fruity, floral and aromatic plants, characteristics which meet in the mouth with saline, fresh and tense flavours; |
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‘Château-Thébaud’, the wines of which are usually characterised by the finesse and elegance of their bouquet, varying between fruity, floral and aromatic plants, characteristics which meet in the mouth with saline, fresh and tense flavours;

| — | ‘Clisson’, whose wines are generally characterised by a very concentrated taste and intense aromas, mainly of fruit (ripe and dried); |
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‘Clisson’, whose wines are generally characterised by a very concentrated taste and intense aromas, mainly of fruit (ripe and dried);

| — | ‘Gorges’, the wines of which are often very powerful in the mouth, supported by acidity and bitterness and by mineral or menthol aromas; |
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‘Gorges’, the wines of which are often very powerful in the mouth, supported by acidity and bitterness and by mineral or menthol aromas;

| — | ‘Goulaine’, where the wines usually have an intense bouquet dominated by notes of fresh and dried fruit and floral nuances, and are indicated by their balance, roundness, very slight bitterness and a long-lasting velvety impression in the mouth; |
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‘Goulaine’, where the wines usually have an intense bouquet dominated by notes of fresh and dried fruit and floral nuances, and are indicated by their balance, roundness, very slight bitterness and a long-lasting velvety impression in the mouth;

| — | ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, whose wines, closed in their youth, later frequently have intense floral, citrus, aromatic herb aromas, with brioche and mineral notes and a taste whose concentrated structure is supported by slight bitterness and astringency; |
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‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, whose wines, closed in their youth, later frequently have intense floral, citrus, aromatic herb aromas, with brioche and mineral notes and a taste whose concentrated structure is supported by slight bitterness and astringency;

| — | ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, the wines of which are often distinguished by their strong aromas of dried or candied fruit and balsamic notes, while in the mouth they reveal a broad and generous profile with a creamy character balanced by a very slight bitterness; |
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‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, the wines of which are often distinguished by their strong aromas of dried or candied fruit and balsamic notes, while in the mouth they reveal a broad and generous profile with a creamy character balanced by a very slight bitterness;

| — | ‘Le Pallet’, whose wines are frequently distinguished by their smooth balance in the mouth and by their very fine aromatic bouquet dominated by the floral component. |
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‘Le Pallet’, whose wines are frequently distinguished by their smooth balance in the mouth and by their very fine aromatic bouquet dominated by the floral component.

To preserve the qualities obtained by ageing and to avoid any oxidation, the wines with supplementary geographical names are bottled directly at the winery.

Causal interactions

Due to their coarse texture bequeathed by old rocks, the soils of the geographical area give the vines an early start to their growth cycle and limit their vigour. The mild winters accentuate this early start, while the summer sunshine and marine winds protect the vegetation from diseases. These soils provide a moderate and steady water supply to the vine, the guarantee of good ripening, due to their reduced water reserve and fracturing which enable deep rooting. Over the centuries, these factors favoured the selection of the early grape variety Melon B, particularly as the moderate summer temperatures in the geographical area are ideal in order to preserve the freshness and aromas of the wines from this delicate white variety.

The long wine-growing history of the geographical area, its early specialisation and the density of the vines which characterise it have long favoured the pooling of practices. Seeking to protect the authenticity of their products, the producers obtained recognition as an AOC from 1936, one of the first to achieve this in France, at the end of a process initiated in the 1920s.

Their know-how enables operators to control production and harvest healthy grapes when fully ripened. Made in line with local custom, the wines are aged on their fine winemaking lees until packaging, without any racking. The geographical area’s mild winter temperatures, which favour interaction with the lees, allow the wines to continue to improve during ageing, growing richer on the palate from the very next spring. Careful bottling makes it possible to preserve the wines’ essential characteristics, as some aromas continue to develop after packaging. This know-how, perfectly suited to the potential of the natural environment and the Melon B variety, allow the odorous molecules formed in fermentation and the precursors of glycosidic aromas to be fully expressed in the wines.

Bottled the year after the harvest, AOC wines marked ‘sur lie’ keep their characteristic freshness supported by a light effervescence due to the residual carbon dioxide formed during the wine-making process. To avoid any oxidation the wines are bottled directly at the winery. This traditional practice, which minimises handling, is perfectly suited to preserving the delicate aroma compounds of the wines. The diversity of rocks and soils derived therefrom, the topographical variations and climatic nuances due to the distance of islands under vines in relation to the water bodies, partly explain the aromatic complexity encountered in the wines. Taking advantage of the diversity of the natural environment, along with demanding wine-making practices, have enabled producers to distinguish specific features and to promote the supplementary geographical names which constitute the ‘flagships’ of the protected designation of origin:

| — | ‘Château-Thébaud’ which, due to its western location on the promontories bordering the river Maine, has a climate favourable to early growth. Its soils, the legacy of gneiss and granodiorite rocks, allow the vines to root deeply, and produce musts rich in organic acids which, after a long ageing period, promote the production of fine and tense wines with great freshness and minerality; |
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‘Château-Thébaud’ which, due to its western location on the promontories bordering the river Maine, has a climate favourable to early growth. Its soils, the legacy of gneiss and granodiorite rocks, allow the vines to root deeply, and produce musts rich in organic acids which, after a long ageing period, promote the production of fine and tense wines with great freshness and minerality;

| — | ‘Clisson’, where the interaction between a relatively late climate, the shallow sandy soils derived from granite, the steep slopes on the Sèvre or the Maine and practices geared towards the search for late grape ripening and long ageing of wines on their fine winemaking lees give the wines their richness in the mouth and their characteristic fruity aromas; |
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‘Clisson’, where the interaction between a relatively late climate, the shallow sandy soils derived from granite, the steep slopes on the Sèvre or the Maine and practices geared towards the search for late grape ripening and long ageing of wines on their fine winemaking lees give the wines their richness in the mouth and their characteristic fruity aromas;

| — | ‘Gorges’, where the soils formed by the weathering of gabbros and the relatively late local climate, along with practices intended to harvest the grapes before full ripeness, and then to age the wines for a long period in an anaerobic environment on their fine lees, result in wines which are lively in the mouth and have a very fresh, mineral aroma; |
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‘Gorges’, where the soils formed by the weathering of gabbros and the relatively late local climate, along with practices intended to harvest the grapes before full ripeness, and then to age the wines for a long period in an anaerobic environment on their fine lees, result in wines which are lively in the mouth and have a very fresh, mineral aroma;

| — | ‘Goulaine’, where the land, developed on almost unaltered metamorphic rocks, has a climate that is strongly tempered by the proximity of the Loire and the marshes. This encourages rapid ripening of the grapes which, thanks to being harvested early at full ripeness, produce expressive, balanced and flexible wines with aromas of fresh and dried fruit; |
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‘Goulaine’, where the land, developed on almost unaltered metamorphic rocks, has a climate that is strongly tempered by the proximity of the Loire and the marshes. This encourages rapid ripening of the grapes which, thanks to being harvested early at full ripeness, produce expressive, balanced and flexible wines with aromas of fresh and dried fruit;

| — | ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, situated on the ridges and hillsides bordering the Sèvre, where the soils developed on gneiss with low acidity, loose or altered rocks, cause slow ripening, allowing the grapes to become very ripe, the basis for full and powerful wines with ripe fruit notes tending towards candied fruit; |
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‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’, situated on the ridges and hillsides bordering the Sèvre, where the soils developed on gneiss with low acidity, loose or altered rocks, cause slow ripening, allowing the grapes to become very ripe, the basis for full and powerful wines with ripe fruit notes tending towards candied fruit;

| — | ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, in the east of the winegrowing area, where the interaction between a more continental climate and sandy-clayey soils formed on gabbro rocks with little alteration favours accelerated ripening, resulting in wines which after careful ageing have intense aromas recalling brioche, spice, fruits and flowers. |
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‘Mouzillon – Tillières’, in the east of the winegrowing area, where the interaction between a more continental climate and sandy-clayey soils formed on gabbro rocks with little alteration favours accelerated ripening, resulting in wines which after careful ageing have intense aromas recalling brioche, spice, fruits and flowers.

| — | ‘Le Pallet’, where the long wine-growing tradition and the cohesion of the producers have helped to build up the know-how that makes best use of the grapes harvested at full maturity on stony and cracked soils, leading to the harmony of the wines’ taste and the fineness of their floral aromas. |
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‘Le Pallet’, where the long wine-growing tradition and the cohesion of the producers have helped to build up the know-how that makes best use of the grapes harvested at full maturity on stony and cracked soils, leading to the harmony of the wines’ taste and the fineness of their floral aromas.

The operators have learned to preserve the aromatic characteristics of these wines by minimising all contact with oxygen in the air during packaging. With this in mind and in accordance with local custom, these wines are packed in bottles in the same winery where they are produced.

9.   Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)

Legal framework:

In national legislation

Type of further condition:

Packaging in the demarcated area

Description of the condition:

Wines eligible for the endorsement ‘sur lie’ must be packaged in the demarcated area.

They are bottled at the winery, so as to keep decanting to a minimum, between 1 March and 31 December of the year following the harvest to preserve the qualities obtained using specific winemaking and ageing methods, in particular their freshness and complex aromas, some of which develop after bottling, and a slight effervescence due to their naturally occurring carbon dioxide content.

It is an ageing method that makes for round and unctuous wines, as they are enriched, in particular, with mannoproteins and other compounds resulting from the autolysis of yeast cell walls. This method is based on letting the wines rest and keeping them in a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, which strongly limits oxidation and the release of volatile compounds.

The wines are bottled, their carbon dioxide content being too high for them to be packed in flexible containers, and particular care is required during bottling.

They remain on their fine winemaking lees at the time of packing or when first dispatched from the winery.

Area in immediate proximity

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Derogation concerning production in the identified geographical area

Description of the condition:

The area in immediate proximity, defined by derogation for the vinification, processing, ageing and packaging of wines eligible for the endorsement ‘sur lie’, comprises the territory of the following municipalities or part-municipalities on the basis of the 2018 Official Geographic Code:

| — | Department of Loire-Atlantique: Ancenis, La Bernerie-en-Retz, Le Bignon (partly), La Boissière-du-Doré, Bouaye, Bouguenais, Boussay, Brains, Carquefou, Le Cellier, Chaumes-en-Retz, Chauvé, Cheix-en-Retz, La Chevrolière, Corcoué-sur-Logne, Couffé, Divatte-sur-Loire (only for the territory of the delegated municipality of Barbechat), Frossay, Geneston, Gétigné (partly), Legé, Ligné, La Limouzinière, Loireauxence (only for the territory of the delegated municipalities of La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur and Varades), Le Loroux-Bottereau (partly), Machecoul-Saint-Même, La Marne, Mauves-sur-Loire, Mésanger, Montbert (partly), Montrelais, Les Moutiers-en-Retz, Oudon, Paulx, Le Pellerin, La Planche, Pont-Saint-Martin, Pornic, Port-Saint-Père, La Remaudière, Rezé, Rouans, Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu, Saint-Colomban, Sainte-Pazanne, Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte, Saint-Géréon, Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons, Saint-Léger-les-Vignes, Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais, Saint-Mars-de-Coutais, Saint-Père-en-Retz, Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, Saint-Viaud, Les Sorinières (partly), Thouaré-sur-Loire, Touvois, Vair-sur-Loire, Vieillevigne, Villeneuve-en-Retz, Vue. |
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Department of Loire-Atlantique: Ancenis, La Bernerie-en-Retz, Le Bignon (partly), La Boissière-du-Doré, Bouaye, Bouguenais, Boussay, Brains, Carquefou, Le Cellier, Chaumes-en-Retz, Chauvé, Cheix-en-Retz, La Chevrolière, Corcoué-sur-Logne, Couffé, Divatte-sur-Loire (only for the territory of the delegated municipality of Barbechat), Frossay, Geneston, Gétigné (partly), Legé, Ligné, La Limouzinière, Loireauxence (only for the territory of the delegated municipalities of La Chapelle-Saint-Sauveur and Varades), Le Loroux-Bottereau (partly), Machecoul-Saint-Même, La Marne, Mauves-sur-Loire, Mésanger, Montbert (partly), Montrelais, Les Moutiers-en-Retz, Oudon, Paulx, Le Pellerin, La Planche, Pont-Saint-Martin, Pornic, Port-Saint-Père, La Remaudière, Rezé, Rouans, Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu, Saint-Colomban, Sainte-Pazanne, Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte, Saint-Géréon, Saint-Hilaire-de-Chaléons, Saint-Léger-les-Vignes, Saint-Lumine-de-Coutais, Saint-Mars-de-Coutais, Saint-Père-en-Retz, Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu, Saint-Viaud, Les Sorinières (partly), Thouaré-sur-Loire, Touvois, Vair-sur-Loire, Vieillevigne, Villeneuve-en-Retz, Vue.

| — | Department of Maine-et-Loire: Beaupréau-en-Mauges (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Beaupréau and Gesté), Ingrandes-Le Fresne sur Loire (only the territory of the delegated municipality of Fresne-sur-Loire), Mauges-sur-Loire (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of La Chapelle-Saint-Florent, Le Marillais and Saint-Florent-le-Vieil), Montrevault-sur-Èvre (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of La Boissière-sur-Evre, La Chaussaire, Le Fief-Sauvin, Le Fuilet, Montrevault, Le Puiset-Doré, Saint-Pierre-Montlimart and Saint-Rémy-en-Mauges), Orée d’Anjou, Sèvremoine (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Montfaucon-Montigné and Saint-Germain-sur-Moine). |
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Department of Maine-et-Loire: Beaupréau-en-Mauges (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Beaupréau and Gesté), Ingrandes-Le Fresne sur Loire (only the territory of the delegated municipality of Fresne-sur-Loire), Mauges-sur-Loire (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of La Chapelle-Saint-Florent, Le Marillais and Saint-Florent-le-Vieil), Montrevault-sur-Èvre (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of La Boissière-sur-Evre, La Chaussaire, Le Fief-Sauvin, Le Fuilet, Montrevault, Le Puiset-Doré, Saint-Pierre-Montlimart and Saint-Rémy-en-Mauges), Orée d’Anjou, Sèvremoine (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Montfaucon-Montigné and Saint-Germain-sur-Moine).

| — | Department of Vendée: Cugand (partly), Montaigu, Rocheservière, Saint-Étienne-du-Bois, Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay (partly), Saint-Philbert-de-Bouaine. |
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Department of Vendée: Cugand (partly), Montaigu, Rocheservière, Saint-Étienne-du-Bois, Saint-Hilaire-de-Loulay (partly), Saint-Philbert-de-Bouaine.

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The name of the controlled designation of origin may be followed by the indication ‘sur lie’ [aged on the lees] in accordance with the rules laid down in the product specification for the use of this indication.

The name of the controlled designation of origin may be followed by the geographical name ‘Val de Loire’, in accordance with the rules laid down in the product specification.

The name of the controlled designation of origin may be followed by the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’, ‘Le Pallet’, ‘Château-Thébaud’, ‘Goulaine’, ‘Monnières – Saint-Fiacre’ and ‘Mouzillon – Tillières’ for wines complying with the production conditions laid down for those names in the product specification.

The size of the letters of the indication ‘sur lie’ and of the geographical name ‘Val de Loire’ must be equal to or smaller, in height, width and thickness, than the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin.

For wines labelled ‘sur lie’ or bearing the supplementary geographical names ‘Clisson’, ‘Gorges’ or ‘Le Pallet’, the vintage must also appear on the label.

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The supplementary geographical names shall be included in the same visual field as the name of the controlled designation of origin. The dimensions of the characters that make them up are equal, in height or width or thickness, to those of the characters composing the name of the controlled designation of origin.

Wines not eligible for a supplementary geographical name may specify a smaller geographical unit on their label, provided that:

| — | it is a registered location; |
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it is a registered location;

| — | it appears on the harvest declaration. |
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it appears on the harvest declaration.

The place name must be printed in letters no larger, in height or width or thickness, than half the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin. It must appear in the same visual field as the name of the controlled designation of origin.

Link to the product specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-7e913c79-1202-4697-b5ed-a01af13ee5f8

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(1)  OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2.

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