COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 19 October 2016

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 publication reference of the specification for a name in the wine sector

(Terrasses du Larzac (PDO))

(2016/C 386/07)

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:

France has applied for protection of the name ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 on the protection of designations of origin and geographical indications in the wine sector. In accordance with Article 97(2) of that Regulation, France’s application has been examined by the Commission.

The conditions laid down in Articles 93 to 96, Article 97(1), and Articles 100 to 102 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 have been met.

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 specification made during the national procedure for examining the application for protection of the name ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ should therefore be published in the Official Journal of the European Union,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The single document referred to in Article 94(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and the publication reference of the specification for the name ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ (PDO) are set out in the Annex to this Decision.

In accordance with Article 98 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, the publication of this decision confers 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.

(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

ANNEX

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name(s) to be registered

Terrasses du Larzac

2. Type of geographical indication

PDO — Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine products

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

These are still, dry red wines, purple or garnet in colour, with occasional black reflections. Wines ready to be marketed in bulk or bottled have a fermentable sugar content that does not exceed 3 g/l. The wines have a fine and complex nose: aromas of red fruit (cherry, raspberry, etc.), black fruit (blackberry, blackcurrant) and spices (pepper, clove, etc.) dominate and are complemented by liquorice, black olive and violet aromas as well as roasted notes and perfumes from the garrigue, a type of scrubland (cade, thyme, laurel, etc.). There are also notes of leather, hay or tobacco. In the mouth, the wines are rich with a good tannic structure, while remaining elegant. There are notes of ripe fruit and spices.

General analytical characteristics

Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) 12 Minimum total acidity in milliequivalents per litre Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

5. Wine-making practices

a. Essential oenological practices

Oenological practice:

Any heat treatment of the wine harvest where the temperature rises above 40 °C is prohibited.

The use of wood chips is forbidden.

In addition to the provisions above, the oenological practices used must comply with all the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code.

Training of the vines:

— the minimum planting density of the vines is 4 400 plants per hectare,

— the distance between the rows of vines must not exceed 2,25 m,

— the area available for each plant must not exceed 2,25 m2. This area is obtained by multiplying the distances between rows and the space between plants in the same row,

— irrigation may be authorised

b. Maximum yields

45 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated area

The grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed and aged on the territory of the following municipalities of the department of Hérault: Aniane, Arboras, Argelliers, Le Bosc, Brissac, Causse-de-la-Selle, Ceyras, Gignac, Jonquières, Lagamas, Lauroux, Mérifons, Montoulieu, Montpeyroux, Moulès-et-Baucels, Murles, Octon, Pégairolles-de-Buègues, Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette, Poujols, Puéchabon, Saint-André-de-Buègues, Saint-André-de-Sangonis, Saint-Félix-de-Lodez, Saint-Guiraud, Saint-Jean-de-Buèges, Saint-Jean-de-Fos, Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquière, Saint-Privat, Saint-Saturnin-de-Lucian, Soubès and Usclas-du-Bosc.

The demarcated area is 61 713 ha in size.

7. Main wine grapes

Grenache N

Carignan N

Mourvèdre N

Syrah N

8. Description of the link(s)

The geographical area covers 32 municipalities of the department of Hérault and is bounded:

— in the north, by the calcareous cliffs bordering the Larzac, whose altitude varies between 700 and 800 metres,

— in the south, by the estuary of the Lergue and the Hérault, with an open landscape over the broad Hérault valley in the direction of the sea.

The wine-growing area is protected from northerly winds by the Larzac plateau. It has an average annual rainfall of 800 mm to 900 mm and cooler temperatures than the rest of the Languedoc wine-growing region. The temperature variations between day and night are marked during the summer months and affect the phenolic ripeness of the grape berries. The soils in this area have low fertility, good drainage, a heavy load of calcareous gravel and a limited water reserve distributed at depth.

The presence of vines in the ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ dates back to Roman times, although vineyards did not experience significant growth until the Middle Ages and then again in the 18th century, with the development of trade. Although the history of ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ and of wine-growing in the Languedoc later became intertwined, it was clear that an intensive production model was poorly suited to this region, where soils are less fertile and at a slightly higher altitude, which naturally limits yields. ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ wines come from nine traditional Languedoc wine grape varieties, and wine growers were able to benefit from this diversity thanks to their thorough knowledge of the land and by selecting the best locations for each variety and preparing cuvées from at least three varieties, so that each vintage reflected the identity of their wines.

The quality and specific characteristics of ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ wines have been recognised since the end of the 1950s, when they were selected for the protected designation of origin ‘Coteaux du Languedoc’ delimited wine of superior quality.

Aware of the quality and specificity of their natural environment, the producers of ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ have been seeking recognition of the identity of their vineyards for nearly 20 years. An important milestone was reached with the recognition, on the basis of the 2004 vintage, of the complementary geographical name ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ within the ‘Coteaux du Languedoc’ controlled designation of origin.

The nuancing effect of altitude on the Mediterranean climate and the distance from the sea also play a major role in shaping the typical characteristics of the wines. Hot days alternating with cool nights during the ripening season of the grapes helps the aromas come together, especially those of spices and red fruits. The temperatures, which are lower than on the coast, enable later harvests and maintain the fineness and freshness of the wines. The strong light and mild climate allow the wine grapes to express their full potential. As a consequence, these wines, purple or garnet in colour with occasional black reflections, have a fine and complex nose. The dominant aromas of red fruit, black fruit and spices combine harmoniously with notes of liquorice, black olive and violet as well as roasted notes and perfumes from the garrigue. Notes of leather, hay or tobacco and even truffle may also develop. In the mouth, the wines are rich with a good tannic structure and a specific balance between generosity and freshness. There are notes of ripe fruit and spices.

These wines basically improve with age and some of them reveal their character after 15 or even 20 or more years.

To summarise, the wines are characterised by their balance, pleasant complexity and a good capacity to improve with age as well as a typical overall elegance.

The area's rich wine-growing history means that detailed knowledge of the natural environment has been acquired over the generations. On the basis of this knowledge it has been possible to adapt the different wine grape varieties to the soils and their micro-localisations. These wines are blended wines (at least 3 varieties) that have been vinified traditionally, with vatting frequently lasting for more than 15 days and even up to 30 days. The structure of the wines requires an ageing period after fermentation in order to obtain a complex aromatic range but also to refine the tannins.

The consistency of the products rests on the progress made by the producers in the vineyard and in the cellar but also on their collective effort, which enabled them to together define clearly the profile and identity of a wine bearing the name ‘Terrasses du Larzac’.

In conclusion, the particular geographical location — a balance between Mediterranean generosity and the freshness of the Larzac plateau — contributes to the specific character of wines bearing the ‘Terrasses du Larzac’ controlled designation of origin, further reinforced by the producers' know-how.

9. Essential further conditions

Area in immediate proximity

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

The area in immediate proximity, defined by derogation for the making, development and ageing of the wines, comprises the territory of the municipality of La Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries (Department of Hérault).

Broader geographical unit

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

Wines with the controlled designation of origin may specify on their labels the broader geographical unit ‘Languedoc’.

The size of the letters for this broader geographical unit must not be larger, either in height or width, than half of the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin.

Smaller geographical unit

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The size of the letters of all optional terms whose use, under Union provisions, may be regulated by the Member States, must not be larger, either in height or width, than half of the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin.

Reference to publication of the specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-28398d7f-8879-48ac-a46c-16573436bdbd