Publication of an application for registration pursuant to Article 6(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin

(2003/C 261/05)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Articles 7 and 12d of the abovementioned Regulation. Any objection to this application must be submitted via the competent authority in a Member State, in a WTO member country or in a third country recognised in accordance with Article 12(3) within a time limit of six months from the date of this publication. The arguments for publication are set out below, in particular under 4.6, and are considered to justify the application within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

REGULATION (EEC) No 2081/92

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION: ARTICLE 5

PDO (x) PGI ( )

National application number: -

1. Responsible department in the Member State Name: Institut national des appellations d'origine

Address: 138, avenue des Champs-Elysées - F-75008 Paris

Tel. (33-1) 53 89 80 00

Fax (33-1) 42 25 57 97.

2. Applicant group 2.1. Name: Syndicat de promotion du poiré Domfront

2.2. Address: Mairie - F-61350 Passais-la-Conception

2.3. Composition: producer/processor (x) other ( ).

3. Type of product: Class 1.8 - Other Annex II products: perry.

4. Specification (summary of requirements under Article 4(2))

4.1. Name: Domfront.

4.2. Description Domfront perry is a fermented sparkling drink made from specific varieties of "perry pears". It is clear and pale yellow to golden yellow in colour. Its harmonious sparkle results from its characteristic fine bubbles.

Domfront perry presents a wide range of aromas dominated by fruit and flowers with a hint of exotic fruits, toast and brioche. Its palate is a balance of acidity and the sweetness of unfermented sugars.

4.3. Geographical area All operations relating to the growing of the pears and the production of the perry take place in a geographical area covering the following municipalities:

Département de l'Orne: Avrilly, La Baroche-sous-Lucé, Beaulandais, Céaucé, La Chapelle d'Andaine, Domfront, l'Épinay-le-Comte, la Haute Chapelle, Juvigny-sous-Andaine, Lonlay l'Abbaye (in part), Loré, Lucé, Mantilly, Passais, Perrou, Rouellé, Saint-Bômer-les-Forges (in part), Saint-Brice, Saint-Denis-de-Villenette, Saint-Fraimbault, Saint-Gilles-des-Marais, Saint-Mars-d'Égrenne, Saint-Roch-sur-Égrenne, Saint-Simeon, Sept Forges and Torchamp.

Département de la Mayenne: Couesmes-Vaucé, Lassay-les-Châteaux (in part) and Soucé.

Département de la Manche: Barenton, Buais, Ferrières, Heussé, Husson, Notre-Dame-du-Touchet, Le Teilleul, Saint-Cyr-du-Bailleul, Saint-Jean-du-Corail, Saint-Symphorien-des-Monts, Sainte-Marie-du-Bois, Saint-Georges-de-Rouelley and Villechien.

4.4. Proof of origin All fruit growers and processors must complete an aptitude declaration registered at the offices of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), enabling all operators to be identified. Under the terms of the declaration, all operators undertake to comply with all the production requirements. Pear producers must send in an application for identification of their orchard together with the declaration. In this way all trees producing Domfront perry are identified and controlled by the INAO offices (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine).

To monitor the quantities used and volume produced, operators must send INAO crop declarations (in the case of fruit growers) and production declarations (in the case of processors).

When transported, perry pears must always be accompanied by a document stating that they are intended for the Domfront designation and bearing a reference to the orchard of origin. The quantities of perry bottled and intended for the Domfront designation must be covered by a bottling declaration. In addition, Domfront perry producers must keep a cellar record covering, among other things, the quantities of fruit used, the volume of must obtained and the operations carried out to produce the perry.

Perry bearing the registered designation of origin Domfront may not be marketed without an approval certificate issued by INAO. The certificate is issued, for each batch of perry identified, following an analytical and organoleptic examination after the product has become sparkling in the bottle to ensure that the perry has the quality and typical characteristics of this designation of origin.

4.5. Method of production Domfront perry is obtained exclusively by fermenting fresh pear must of the main variety Plant de Blanc and other varieties selected from local varieties planted prior to 26 December 1999.

The pear trees must have been planted on land in the production area meeting defined criteria. Pear trees of the Plant de Blanc variety must account for at least 10 % of the trees in each orchard identified up to the 2029 harvest. From the 2030 harvest, that figure will be 20 %.

The pear trees are trained into high stems with a planting density of less than 150 trees per hectare. Orchards must be maintained and given a grass cover throughout. Irrigation is not allowed. The fully ripe pears are picked from the ground at intervals, each variety separately. Harvesting and storage are done by hand or using equipment that does not damage the fruit or cause blemishes. The length of storage of the pears between harvest and use may not exceed 72 hours. The Plant de Blanc variety is stored separately from the other varieties.

The maximum average yield is not more than 500 kilograms of pears per tree and 300 kilograms for trees of the Plant de Blanc variety. All practices that alter the natural richness in sugar of the pears, must or perry are banned. Pasteurisation and the addition of water or colouring are prohibited at all stages of production.

The pears are grated and the resultant pulp kept in vats before being pressed. Pressing is done without "working" the pulp, with a maximum yield of 700 litres per tonne. The must has a natural minimum standard sugar content of 100 grams per litre. The juice extraction equipment must meet defined specifications. The must is fermented for at least six weeks between pressing and bottling.

Each batch of perry or fermented pear must ready to be bottled and become sparkling constitutes a cuvée. In each cuvée, the volume resulting from the Plant de Blanc variety used must make up at least 40 % of the cuvée and the volume resulting from each of the other varieties used may not be more than 25 % of the cuvée.

Perry is made sparkling by fermentation of part of the residual sugars in the bottle. Aeration is prohibited. It takes at least six weeks for the perry to become sparkling. Bottling must take place by 30 September of the year following that of harvest.

After it has become sparkling, the perry obtained has the following analytical characteristics:

- total alcoholic strength by volume greater than 5,5 %,

- actual alcoholic strength by volume greater than 3 %,

- carbon dioxide content greater than 4 grams per litre.

4.6. Link Up to the end of the 19th century the pear trees of the Lower Domfrontais, in orchards situated between ploughed fields, were used to produce a drink intended primarily for local consumption. During the 20th century, despite the development of the distillation of perry into spirit, farmers are maintaining and developing the practice of producing perry for consumption, as opposed to the other regions of the west of France where cider is the main customary drink. This tradition will give the product a regional reputation linking Domfront with the historic capital of the Lower Domfrontais. The Domfrontais is the only region in France in which perry pear orchards are still planted and harvested in significant quantity.

Domfront perry is characterised by the interaction of several factors: the soil properties and climate of the production zone which have influenced selection and allow consistent production of perry pears suitable for making balanced must, the uniqueness of the variety of genetic material in the region, and the cultivation and technical practices that have been developed to bring the best out of the fruit used.

At the crossroads of Normandy, Brittany and the Maine, the Lower Domfrontais is situated in the wooded Norman countryside with its maritime climate and the geological structure of the Armorican massif. Sheltered by the sandstone escarpment to the north and open to the south, this area is ideally situated for growing pears. The predominantly deep soil of wind-blown silt on schist with dolerite seams, with good water retention properties and regular rainfall throughout the year, match the perry pear tree's sensitivity to dry conditions. The milder temperatures in the defined region also limit the risk of frost for the Plant de Blanc variety, which is characterised by its abundant foliage.

The distinctiveness of Domfront perry owes much to the organoleptic and technical characteristics of the Plant de Blanc variety, which is found throughout the Lower Domfrontais, its niche habitat, and nowhere else. The Plant de Blanc variety and the other associated varieties were selected by producers in the region because they match both the constraints and the suitability of the prevailing physical environment.

Must obtained from Plant de Blanc, the main variety covered by the designation, has an original flavour resulting from the balance between its acidity, richness in sugar and phenolic compound content. Its clarity makes slow, regular fermentation possible, which is essential for obtaining this perry's organoleptic characteristics: balance, subtlety, and its characteristic citrus fruit, peach and confectionery flavours.

To preserve these characteristics, special know-how has been developed for the selection of plots to take account of soil conditions and the selection of pear varieties, orchard management, harvesting and manufacture.

4.7. Inspection body Name: INAO

Address: 138, avenue des Champs-Elysées - F-75008 Paris

Name: DGCCRF

Address: 59, boulevard V. Auriol - F-75703 Paris Cedex 13

4.8. Labelling On the labelling:

- the word "Poiré" may precede the designation,

- the words "appellation d'origine contrôlée" must appear immediately below the name bearing the registered designation of origin with no words in-between

- the name of the registered designation of origin and the words "appellation d'origine contrôlée" or "appellation" and "contrôlée" must be indicated in conspicuous, clearly legible and indelible characters of a sufficient size so as to be clearly distinguishable from all other written or graphic information

- the words "appellation d'origine contrôlée" must be in characters at least one quarter the size of the characters used for the name bearing the registered designation of origin.

4.9. National requirements Decree on the registered designation of origin "Domfront".

EC No: FR/00276/30.1.03.

Date of receipt of the full application: 24 July 2003.