Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to a 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 437/15)

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

COMMUNICATION OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT TO THE SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘MONTLOUIS-SUR-LOIRE’

PDO-FR-A0169-AM01

Date of communication: 7.10.2020

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1. Reference to official geographic code

A reference to the Official Geographic Code has been added in relation to the geographical area and area in immediate proximity. This does not change the two areas in any way.

Points 1.6 and 1.9 of the Single Document have therefore been amended.

2. Planting density

The planting density has been changed from 6 000 to 6 250 vines per hectare. The minimum spacing between rows has therefore been reduced to 0,8 metres. This increase in the density of the vines improves the quality of the wines produced from them.

Point 1.5 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

3. Pruning rules

The pruning rules have been revised in order to give winegrowers extra flexibility so that they can potentially adapt to ever-increasing uncertainties in the climate (late frost, etc.). The wording is now as follows:

‘— For vines which are pruned short (in a fan shape or using the cordon de Royat method), no more than 85 800 count buds may be pruned per hectare or an average of 13 count buds per plant, up to a maximum of 15, with each spur having a maximum of three buds.

— For vines which are pruned long, no more than 72 600 count buds may be pruned per hectare or an average of 11 count buds per plant, up to a maximum of 13.’

Point 1.5 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

4. Vine-training rules

Vine canes undergoing Guyot pruning must now be attached to a support wire.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

5. Agri-environmental practice

The following has been added:

‘— Permanent grass cover is required along parcel boundaries (headlands and areas between parcels which are not planted or cultivated). This requirement does not apply to headlands being restored, in particular following erosion or exceptional climatic events.

— On at least 40 % of the area between rows, mechanical or physical methods must be used to control sown or spontaneous vegetation.’

This amendment reflects current developments in practice among operators to promote conservation agriculture throughout the winegrowing area. It takes into account growing environmental concern as part of technical procedures. By encouraging the existence of vegetation cover, it helps to reduce the use of chemical herbicides. The reduction in herbicides aims at strengthening the defences of wine-growing soils and preserving their natural properties such as fertility, bio-diversity and self-cleaning. This will contribute to the quality and authenticity of the wines and strengthen the sense of terroir.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

6. Harvesting

Under point VII(1) of Chapter 1, the following sentence has been deleted: ‘The start date of the harvests is set in accordance with Article D. 644-24 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code’.

It is no longer necessary to set a start date for harvests as operators now have a large selection of tools at their disposal to enable them to gauge the ripeness of the grapes with the greatest possible accuracy. All operators have access to a certain number of individual and collective machines and equipment that enable them to accurately determine the ideal start date for harvesting each parcel based on production objectives.

The Single Document is not affected by this amendment.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

7. Specific harvesting rules

The following has been added:

‘— If the harvest is carried out mechanically, the pressing cycle must begin no later than 2 hours after the harvest has been transported.

— If the harvest is carried out manually, the pressing cycle must begin no later than 24 hours after the harvest has been transported.

— Harvesting equipment must be washed at least once a day.’

These rules aim to guarantee that the grapes are as healthy as possible.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

8. Single-fermentation sparkling wines

The specification has been amended in order to incorporate the production conditions for single-fermentation sparkling wines. In doing so, amendments were made to the specification under the following points:

Harvesting

‘— Single-fermentation sparkling wines are made from grapes picked by hand and transported to the press as whole grapes in containers or trailers with screw conveyors or vane pumps which are not self-emptying.’

Ripeness of the grapes

— at 178 grams per litre of must for single-fermentation sparkling wines.

Minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume

— 11 % for single-fermentation sparkling wines.

Yield

— The yield for still wines and single-fermentation sparkling wines laid down in Article D.645-7 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code is 52 hectolitres per hectare.

Upper yield limit

(a) — The upper yield limit for still wines and single-fermentation sparkling wines laid down in Article D.645-7 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code is 62 hectolitres per hectare.

Pressing

— Grapes for making single-fermentation sparkling wines are tipped into the press as whole grapes, without being destemmed or crushed beforehand They are pressed by a pneumatic press, a horizontal basket press without chains or plates, or a vertical press.

Analytical standards

— Single-fermentation sparkling wines must be disgorged and have a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) which is less than or equal to 5 grams per litre.

Oenological practices

— The musts of single-fermentation sparkling wines may not be clarified by using enzymes or enzymatic preparations.

— Single-fermentation sparkling wines must be produced without enrichment or yeasting.

Prohibited equipment

— Stemmers and crushers for working grapes intended for single-fermentation sparkling wines.

Production

— 1 October of the year of harvest is the earliest that bottling may be carried out for the single secondary fermentation to occur.

(c) Secondary fermentation of sparkling wines produced by single fermentation must be carried out under the following conditions: — fermentation begins in tanks or barrels; — it is only controlled through cooling; — yeasting is prohibited; — addition of tirage liqueur is prohibited; — use of calcium or sodium alginates is prohibited; — secondary fermentation may only take place in glass bottles using partially-fermented must; — use of expedition liqueur is prohibited; — the same volume as that lost during disgorgement is added from the same consignment of wine.

Packaging

— an analysis is carried out before or after packaging in the case of still wines, before disgorgement in the case of sparkling and semi-sparkling wines, and after disgorgement in the case of single-fermentation sparkling wines.

Labelling

(c) — Single-fermentation sparkling wines must also state the vintage.

Register

2. Register of parcels intended for the production of single-fermentation sparkling wines.

All grape harvest operators must maintain a register specifying the parcels from which grapes used for single-fermentation sparkling wines are harvested. For the parcels concerned, the register must indicate:

— the cadastral reference;

— the area.

Operators must submit the register to the protection and management body by 1 November following the harvest.

Points 1.4, 1.5, 1.8 and 1.9 of the Single Document have therefore been amended.

9. Sugar content of the grapes

In order to ensure optimal ripeness, the minimum sugar content of grapes has been increased to 8 grams per litre of musts in the case of still wines. The natural alcoholic strength by volume for still wines has therefore been increased from 10,5 % to 11 %.

These changes have not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

10. Upper yield limit

The upper yield limit for still wines, sparkling wines and semi-sparkling wines has been lowered by 3 hl/ha. This change has been made due to the amendment to the pruning rules to avoid yields changing too significantly.

Point 1.5 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

11. Pressing

A section on pressing has been added:

‘— Reception and pressing equipment must be washed once a day;

— Skins must be macerated in airtight containers.’

This rule is aimed at ensuring that the harvest quality does not deteriorate in any way.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

12. Analytical standards

The maximum fermentable sugar content permitting use of the term ‘dry’ for still wines has been reduced from 8 to 5 grams of sugar per litre.

Point 1.9 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

13. Total alcoholic strength by volume after enrichment

The total alcoholic strength by volume after enrichment of still wines has been lowered to 13 % in order to limit the scope for enrichment.

Point 1.5 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

14. Prohibited equipment

In order to prevent any deterioration to the grapes during pressing, the specification now prohibits use of the following:

— presses with axial filling;

— raw concrete tanks, except those with a declaration of conformity from the supplier allowing contact with grapes, must or wine.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

15. Fermenting room capacity

So that the processes carried out in the cellar can take place under good conditions, the specification has increased the minimum fermenting room capacity by raising the co-efficient from 1 to 1,5 times the average volume of wine produced under the controlled designation of origin over the past 5 years.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

16. Bottling of sparkling wines

The date of bottling for the secondary fermentation has been moved forward by 1 month to take account of the fact that harvests are taking place increasingly early.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

17. Packaging

In connection with the recognition of single-fermentation sparkling wines, it is clarified that the rule on marketing bottles with a volume less than or equal to 37,5 centilitres or greater than 150 centilitres is restricted to sparkling and semi-sparkling wines produced by secondary fermentation in the bottle.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

18. Ageing and placing on the market for consumers

The ageing period for still wines has been increased by one and a half months. Chenin is known to be a variety which develops interesting aromatic qualities during the ageing process. As such, the date that wines are made available to consumers has been pushed back from 1 February to 15 March.

30 September has been added as the earliest date for marketing sparkling and semi-sparkling wines.

These changes have not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

19. Circulation between authorised warehouses

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

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

20. Link with the geographical area

The link with the geographical area has been revised as regards the description of single-fermentation sparkling wines.

Following changes to the pruning conditions, the link has also been revised by deleting the reference to short pruning.

Point 1.8 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

21. Transitional measures

The expired transitional measures have been deleted from the specification. This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

22. Bottle presentation

The rule concerning how bottles of semi-sparkling wines are to be presented, has been deleted.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

23. Labelling including the term ‘dry’

The requirement for labelling of still wines to include the term ‘dry’ has been deleted.

Point 1.9 of the Single Document has therefore been amended.

24. Declaration requirements

There is now a reference to declaring the assignment of parcels in advance.

Such a declaration makes it possible to prepare for the type of product expected from a parcel, so that distinct channels can be put in place and the technical model adapted to the intended maximum yield as from the point of pruning. In this way, the protection and management body will also be able to manage the volume arriving on the market according to product type.

Reference to the withdrawal declaration has been removed.

These changes have not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

25. Registers

Reference is now made to a register specifying whether grapes were harvested manually or mechanically.

There is also now a reference to a cleaning register for harvesting, reception and pressing equipment.

Reference to a packaging register has been removed.

These changes have not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

26. Main points to be checked

The main points to be checked have been revised in order to simplify the methods used to evaluate them.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

27. Address

The address of the National Origin and Quality Institute (INAO) has been changed.

This change has not led to an amendment to the Single Document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name of the product

Montlouis-sur-Loire

2. Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine products

1. Wine

5. Quality sparkling wine

8. Semi-sparkling wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

Still wines

Still wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 11 %.

After enrichment, still wines must have a total alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 13 %. After packaging, still wines described as ‘dry’ must have a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) not exceeding 5 grams per litre and a total acidity expressed in grams of tartaric acid per litre that is not more than 2 grams per litre less than the fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose).

The volatile acidity, total sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide content are as laid down in European legislation on still wines.

Still dry wines have fruity, floral aromas when young. These can make way for smooth notes to develop, such as honey, as the wines ages. Where they contain fermentable sugars, the wines are generally more complex and have greater ageing potential. More exuberant notes of exotic fruit or softer notes of dried fruit are not uncommon then, with hints of grilled almonds or quince emerging over time.

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):

Sparkling and semi-sparkling wines

The total alcoholic strength by volume of sparkling or semi-sparkling wines whose must has been enriched may not exceed 13 % after the secondary fermentation.

The volatile acidity, total acidity, total sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide content are as laid down in European legislation on sparkling and semi-sparkling wines.

Sparkling wines, with their fine, light foam, are often characterised by notes of citrus or white-fleshed fruit, and a hint of brioche which becomes more pronounced over time.

Semi-sparkling wines are distinguished by their lower carbon-dioxide content and their more subtle bubbles, which are less obvious on the palate. These pleasant wines are generally more full-bodied than the sparkling wines.

Single-fermentation sparkling wines are characterised by their elegant, creamy bubbles. There is a certain opulence about them linked to the ripeness needed to produce them. White flowers and white-fleshed fruit supplement the balance in the product’s taste and smell.

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. Specific oenological practices

Specific oenological practice

Sparkling or semi-sparkling wines must be produced by secondary bottle fermentation and sparkling wines by single fermentation. The total alcoholic strength by volume if the must has been enriched may not exceed 13 % after the secondary fermentation. After enrichment, still wines must have a total alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 13 %.

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

Cultivation method

(a) — Planting density – The minimum planting density of the vines is 6 250 plants per hectare, with a maximum spacing between rows of 1,6 metres. The spacing between plants in the same row may not be less than 0,8 metres.

(b) — Pruning rules – Vines are pruned before 1 May – For vines which are pruned short (in a fan shape or using the cordon de Royat method), no more than 85 800 count buds may be pruned per hectare or an average of 13 count buds per plant, up to a maximum of 15, with each spur having a maximum of three buds.

— For vines which are pruned long, no more than 72 600 count buds may be pruned per hectare or an average of 11 count buds per plant, up to a maximum of 13.

Single-fermentation sparkling wines

Wine-making restriction

Secondary fermentation of sparkling wines produced by single fermentation must be carried out under the following conditions:

— fermentation begins in tanks or barrels;

— it is only controlled through cooling;

— yeasting is prohibited;

— addition of tirage liqueur is prohibited;

— use of calcium or sodium alginates is prohibited;

— secondary fermentation may only take place in glass bottles using partially-fermented must;

— use of expedition liqueur is prohibited;

— the same volume as that lost during disgorgement is added from the same consignment of wine.

b. Maximum yields

Still wines

62 hectolitres per hectare

Sparkling and semi-sparkling wines

75 hectolitres per hectare

Single-fermentation sparkling wines

62 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

For still wines, the grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed and aged, and for sparkling and semi-sparkling wines the grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed, aged and bottled in the territory of the following municipalities in the department of Indre-et-Loire (list drawn up on the basis of the 2019 Official Geographic Code): Lussault-sur-Loire, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Saint-Martin-le-Beau.

7. Main wine grape variety(-ies)

Chenin B

8. Description of the link(s)

Link with the geographical area

Located a few kilometres east of Tours, the winegrowing area of the controlled designation of origin ‘Montlouis-sur-Loire’ forms part of a triangular limestone plateau, the northern and southern boundaries of which are formed by the Loire and Cher valleys and the eastern boundary by the Forest of Amboise massif. This geographical area is limited to three municipalities.

The area has a relatively mountainous relief, with the winegrowing area situated at an altitude of between 55 and 100 metres. To the south-east, the plateau slopes sharply down to the Cher Valley, forming a steep winegrowing hillside cut across by dry valleys. To the west and the north, the winegrowing plateau ends abruptly at a cliff edge of some thirty metres, intersected here and there by small dry valleys.

From a geological point of view, the plateau is underlain by chalky formations from the Turonian stage (micaceous chalk, yellow tuffeau chalk) and Senonian stage (Villedieu chalk, level to the Cher Valley), topped with silicate-clay formations from the Senonian stage (clay to flint), at times the Eocene stage (puddingstone, gravel) and, in particular, sandy, alluvial material from the high river terraces, roughly mixed with windblown sand.

The parcels demarcated for the grape harvest are found on mostly silicate-clay soils and sometimes clay-limestone soils. The sandy deposits sat on the tops of the slopes very often provide a predominantly sandy texture.

The climate is a modified oceanic climate, at the crossroads between oceanic and continental influences, with the Loire acting as a temperature regulator, at times with excellent autumnal and end-of-season conditions.

From Roman times right up to the 20th century, vast underground quarries have been hollowed out from the tuffeau (soft, chalky material forming the base of the plateau’s bedrock) and reused as winemaking cellars for still wines and sparkling wines, and as ageing and storage sites.

From the 14th to the 19th century, white wines were produced in the winegrowing area. The quality and ageing potential of those wines meant that they could be transported along the River Loire to Nantes, where they would then be shipped to northern Europe. They were frequently sold under the name ‘Vouvray’, which is how the best white wines from the region of Tours were referred to.

During the 1930s, several judgments were passed rejecting applications for a link with the ‘Vouvray’ controlled designation of origin. Winegrowers from Lussault-sur-Loire, Montlouis-sur-Loire and Saint-Martin-le-Beau then sought to have a controlled designation of origin recognised. The name ‘Montlouis’ was thus recognised in 1938, changed to ‘Montlouis-sur-Loire’ in 2002.

In 2008, the winegrowing area covered 400 hectares, with around fifty winegrowers. Half of this area goes to producing still wines (approximately 6 000 hectolitres) and the other half to sparkling or semi-sparkling wines (approximately 9 600 hectolitres).

Description of the product and causal interactions

Still wines

Still dry wines have fruity, floral aromas when young. These can make way for smooth notes to develop, such as honey, as the wines ages.

Where they contain fermentable sugars, the wines are generally more complex and have greater ageing potential. More exuberant notes of exotic fruit or softer notes of dried fruit are not uncommon then, with hints of grilled almonds or quince emerging over time.

Sparkling wines

Sparkling wines, with their fine, light foam, are often characterised by notes of citrus or white-fleshed fruit, and a hint of brioche which becomes more pronounced over time.

Semi-sparkling wines are distinguished by their lower carbon-dioxide content and their more subtle bubbles, which are less obvious on the palate. These pleasant wines are generally more full-bodied than the sparkling wines.

Single-fermentation sparkling wines are characterised by their elegant, creamy bubbles. There is a certain opulence about them linked to the ripeness needed to produce them. White flowers and white-fleshed fruit supplement the balance in the product’s taste and smell.

Still wines

These wines are produced exclusively from the Chenin B variety. As a hardy variety, its potential varies greatly depending on the type of soil in which it is planted, this being – in the geographical area of the ‘Montlouis-sur-Loire’ controlled designation of origin – close to the easternmost limit in which the variety may be cultivated in the Loire Valley.

The well-established parcel area where the grapes are harvested only includes parcels which have soils with good hydrological and thermal properties.

Thanks to these circumstances, Chenin B benefits from conditions which enable the variety to be expressed in an original and elegant way. However, they require optimum management of the plant and its production potential which has resulted in a ban on certain clones and strict vine training.

Montlouis winegrowers have adapted to the requirements of the Chenin B variety, taking advantage of this by diversifying the technical procedures and types of wines produced. Depending on where the vines are planted, how they are trained and the climate conditions of the vintage, the wines produced will have a higher or lower fermentable sugar content. By ageing the white wines, their aromatic complexity is intensified. Where the climate conditions at the end of the harvest are conducive, ‘moelleux’ (medium-sweet) or ‘doux’ (sweet) wines are produced from grapes which are harvested once concentrated as a result of drying on the vine or suffering from ‘noble rot’ by Botrytis cinerea.

The quality of ‘Montlouis-sur-Loire’ wines comes from the parcels selected for cultivating the vines and the adaptation and consistent use of the production methods put in place over time by the winegrowing community. The reputation of the wines is reflected in the fact that they have been sold for such a long time, helped originally by the Loire and Cher rivers. Very likely following on from much earlier trade, in the 16th and 17th centuries the wines were transported by water to Nantes, then shipped to northern Flanders and the Netherlands. Since then, their reputation has grown steadily, and since 2010 they have been marketed outside of France and exported around the world.

Sparkling wines

Sparkling wine production has the same background. Having noticed that bottled wines placed in cellars sometimes started to ferment again, the Montlouis winegrowers sought to both master and take advantage of this phenomenon of ‘naturally sparkling wines’. Thus, wines sold to consumers as ‘fizzy’ wines first made their appearance in the 19th century. Building on a growing understanding of oenology, tests were first carried out in the 1840s to try to produce sparkling wine traditionally. At the turn of the 20th century, skills were transferred by calling on specialists from the Champagne region. Cellars hollowed out from the tuffeau stone encouraged the development of these wines, which require large temperate storage and handling areas. Since the 2000s, wine producers have used their technical understanding of the vines and wine-making process to revive the production of single-fermentation sparkling wines, the first method to be used to produce sparkling wines. Made from perfectly-ripened grapes and controlled yields without adding sugar during the processing stage, these wines strictly reflect the conditions of the vintage.

Using experience gained over more than a century, the winemakers have now perfectly mastered the production of these sparkling wines. Ageing the wines on racks for at least nine months helps them develop their brioche aromas and complexity.

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

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 making, developing and ageing still wines, and for making, developing, ageing and bottling sparkling and semi-sparkling wines comprises the territory of the following municipalities in the department of Indre-et-Loire (list drawn up on the basis of the 2019 Official Geographic Code): Amboise, Athée-sur-Cher, Dierre, Larcay, Véretz, La Ville-aux-Dames.

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

— The optional terms are marked on the labels in letters that may not be larger, either in height or width, than double the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin. — The size of the letters of the geographical name ‘Val de Loire’ may not be larger, either in height or width, than two-thirds of the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin.

— The labels of wines eligible for the controlled designation of origin may bear the name of a smaller geographical entity, provided that: — it is a registered location; — it appears on the harvest declaration.

Single-fermentation sparkling wines must also state the vintage.

Link to the product specification

http://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-bad3034d-713a-430e-beaf-032ca451a8b8

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