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

(2022/C 246/07)

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

COMMUNICATION OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT MODIFYING THE SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Coteaux du Loir’

PDO-FR-A0299-AM01

Date of communication: 1 April 2022

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1. Official Geographic Code

The municipalities making up the geographical area and the area in immediate proximity have been updated in line with the Official Geographic Code.

The boundaries of the area remain unchanged.

Points 6 and 9 of the single document have been amended.

2. Demarcated parcel area

The date of the written consultation completed on 15 December 2021 has been added to the list of meetings of the relevant national committee that approved the demarcated parcel areas.

The purpose of this amendment is to add the date on which the relevant national authority approved changes to the demarcated parcel area within the geographical area of production. Parcels are demarcated by identifying the parcels within the geographical area of production that are suitable for producing the product covered by the protected designation of origin.

The single document is not affected by these amendments.

3. Circulation between authorised warehouses

Point IX(5)(b) of Chapter 1 concerning the date from which the wines may be circulated between authorised warehouses has been deleted.

This amendment does not require any changes to the single document.

4. Reference to the inspection body

The reference to the inspection body has been reworded to align it with the wording used in other product specifications. This is a purely editorial amendment.

This amendment does not require any changes to the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name(s)

Coteaux du Loir

2. Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected designation of origin

3. Categories of grapevine product

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

1. Rosé wines

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION

The rosé wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 9,5 %.

The rosé wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) of more than 12 g/l and thus have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 12,5 %.

After packaging, the wines meet the following analytical standards: The dry rosé wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) not exceeding 8 grams per litre.

— The total acidity expressed in grams of tartaric acid per litre is not more than 2 grams per litre less than the sugar content.

— The volatile acidity is less than or equal to: - 12,2 milliequivalents per litre until 31 December of the year following the year of harvest; - 15,3 milliequivalents per litre until 31 December of the following year.

After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12,5 %.

The total anhydride content of white and rosé wines is as laid down by EU legislation.

The rosé wines are light and refreshing with a fine bouquet. They have a pale colour, often with salmon pink tints. They are generous on the nose, and are often dominated by a peppery scent. On the palate, their lightness and delicacy stand out.

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)

2. Red wines

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION

The red wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 9,5 %. After packaging, the wines meet the following analytical standards:

— The red wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) not exceeding 2 grams per litre.

— The total acidity expressed in grams of tartaric acid per litre is not more than 2 grams per litre less than the sugar content.

— The volatile acidity is less than or equal to: - 12,2 milliequivalents per litre until 31 December of the year following the year of harvest; - 15,3 milliequivalents per litre until 31 December of the following year.

Malolactic fermentation is completed for the red wines and their malic acid content is less than or equal to 0.3 grams per litre.

After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12,5 %.

The total acid and total sulphur dioxide content for red wines are as laid down by EU legislation.

The red wines have a ruby colour and a complex range of aromas, usually dominated by the spicy aromas associated with hints of very ripe red fruit.

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)

3. White wines

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION

The white wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %. The white and rosé wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) of more than 12 g/l and thus have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 12,5 %.

After packaging, the wines meet the following analytical standards:

The dry white wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) not exceeding 8 grams per litre.

— The total acidity expressed in grams of tartaric acid per litre is not more than 2 grams per litre less than the sugar content.

— The volatile acidity is less than or equal to: - 12,2 milliequivalents per litre until 31 December of the year following the year of harvest; - 15,3 milliequivalents per litre until 31 December of the following year.

After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12,5 %.

The total anhydride content of white wines is as laid down by EU legislation.

The white wines are generally dry and in this case the word ‘sec’ [dry] must appear on the labelling. They often have fruity and floral aromas when young and their potential is expressed by ageing. Where they contain fermentable sugars, the wines are generally more complex and have greater potential for ageing, which can last several decades. In this case more exuberant notes of exotic fruit or softer notes of dried fruit are not rare, often appearing 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)

5. Wine-making practices

5.1. Specific oenological practices

1. Specific oenological practice

The use of oenological charcoal in the production of rosé wines is prohibited, whether alone or mixed in preparations.

Subtractive enrichment techniques are permitted for red wines, with the maximum partial concentration rate set at 10 % in relation to the volumes used. After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12,5 %. All enrichment practices are prohibited for wines with a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) of more than 12 grams per litre. The wine-making practices followed must comply with EU rules and the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code as well as with the above provisions.

2. Cultivation method — Training systems a) Planting density: The minimum planting density of the vines is 5 000 plants per hectare, with a maximum distance of 2 metres between rows. The spacing between plants in the same row is no more than 1 metre. b) Pruning rules for black grape varieties — General provisions: Vines are pruned with a maximum of 11 buds per plant. Varieties Cot N, Gamay N, Grolleau N and Pineau d’Aunis N (vines 40 years old or less) - Vines are spur pruned and each spur has a maximum of three buds. Variety Cabernet Franc N - Vines are pruned using the single Guyot method and have a cane with a maximum of seven buds and two spurs with a maximum of two buds. — Special provisions: Variety Pineau d’Aunis N (vines over 40 years old) - Vines may be pruned using the single Guyot method and have a cane with a maximum of seven buds and two spurs with a maximum of two buds. White variety: Variety Chenin B - The vines are spur pruned, with a maximum of 13 buds per plant. Each spur has a maximum of three buds.

5.2. Maximum yields

1. 65 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

The grapes are harvested and the wines are produced, developed and aged in the following municipalities (list established on the basis of the 2021 Official Geographic Code):

— Department of Indre-et-Loire: Bueil-en-Touraine, Saint-Aubin-le-Dépeint, Saint-Christophe-sur-le-Nais, Saint-Paterne-Racan and Villebourg;

— Department of Sarthe: Beaumont-sur-Dême, Chahaignes, La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, Chenu, Dissay, Flée, Lhomme, Loir en Vallée (territory of the delegated municipalities of Poncé-sur-le-Loir and Ruillé-sur-Loir), Marçon, Montval-sur-Loir, Nogent-sur-Loir, Saint-Germain-d’Arcé and Saint-Pierre-de-Chevillé.

7. Wine grape variety(-ies)

Cabernet Franc N

Chenin B

Cot N - Malbec

Gamay N

Grolleau N

Pineau d’Aunis N

8. Description of the link(s)

Description of the natural factors relevant to the link

Situated at the boundary of three provinces, Touraine, Maine and Anjou, approximately 40 kilometres north of the city of Tours, the geographical area stretches for around 30 kilometres on both sides of the Loir Valley and its tributary valleys. In this spot, the River Loir and its tributaries cut into a plateau at an altitude of about 100 metres and carve out deep valleys reaching down 50 metres. These valleys are bordered by cliffs, most of which oriented from east to west, and some from north to south. Cellars carved into the cliffs extend to 15 or 20 metres below ground, and sometimes reach a length of more than 150 metres.

The Loir valley is wide and thus has an open landscape, while the secondary valleys are narrower and more closed-in. The geographical area comprises 21 municipalities, of which 16 are in the south-east of the department of Sarthe and 5 are in the north-west of the department of Indre-et-Loire.

The parcels specifically demarcated for the production of grapes are mainly located on the slopes of the hillsides and the edges of the plateau; they have stony, healthy soils deriving from the Turonian tuffeau and the Senonian clay and flint. Some parcels have soils from Eocene detrital formations or including elements from the alluvial terraces of the River Loir.

The climate is semi-maritime, at the confluence between maritime and continental influences. The River Loir plays a role in regulating the temperature, as do the valleys that draw the cold air away from the hillsides. The area receives approximately 680 millimetres of rainfall each year.

Description of the human factors relevant to the link

According to oral tradition, vines were planted in the 6th century by Saint Lézin (Bishop of Angers at that time) in the south of Sarthe around the municipality of Marçon. It was in this municipality that monks founded the priory of Saint-Lézin, which had links to the abbey of Saint-Julien de Tours and supplied it with a certain quantity of wine. The monks planted Pineau d’Aunis vines on their lands in Chahaignes, a variety more commonly known as Plant de Mayet, Gros Véronais, Mançais Noir or Plant d’Aunis. At that time, the River Loir was already the preferred means of transport for various foodstuffs intended for northern European countries, which were transported via the Loire as far as Nantes.

From the 16th century, La Pléiade, the group of poets gathered around Pierre de Ronsard, told of the gentle way of life of the Loir valley and its wines; these wines were often referred to in written works and memoirs of the time.

In Pantagruel, Rabelais wrote that the municipality of La Chartre was full of wine merchants; Ronsard told of the wines of the Loir; and Henry IV, who would hunt in the Forest of Bercé (Château-du-Loir), only wanted the local wine at his table.

In his memoirs, the Comte de Rochecotte (1769-1797) wrote that wines were produced on the south-facing hillside of the Loir valley, in the municipalities of Chahaignes and Chartre-sur-le-Loir, many of which were famous. In his Etude des vignobles de France [Study of French vineyards] in 1876, Jules Guyot wrote that the climate of Sarthe belonged to that part of the temperate zone where the sweet fruits achieve maximum finesse, the grapes are delicious and the wines are outstanding. The two main varieties of Sarthe are Pineau (Pineau d’Aunis N) for red wine, and Pineau de la Loire (Chenin B) for white wine.

At the height of the phylloxera crisis, Pierre Viala, an ampelographer and specialist in vine diseases, was sent on a viticultural mission and carried out a very detailed survey of the land of the Sarthe vineyards. He recommended ‘making use of the old Sarthe varieties which have proved their worth and which have given your wines their good name’. At his meeting with the Prefect and Mayor of Château du Loir he concluded that: ‘You have a treasure in your hands and you should not allow it to be diminished. It is one of the finest jewels in the crown that is French wine growing which you should honour by making it shine brighter than ever before in the extreme north’.

At that time, mainly the white wines of Pineau de la Loire (Chenin B variety) were mentioned, with the 1837, 1870 and 1893 vintages being particularly appreciated. The red wines assumed their rightful place at the beginning of the 20th century and the 1911, 1921, 1934 and 1937 vintages made a lasting impression. In 1948, the controlled designation of origin ‘Coteaux du Loir’ was recognised for the various categories of wine; the geographical area was the same as that defined in 2010.

In 2009, the area under vines covered more than 80 hectares, cultivated by around 25 producers and with production of around 4 000 hectolitres. Red and white wines each account for about 40 % of the volume, and rosé wines account for 20 %. The white wines are generally dry and in this case the word ‘sec’ [dry] must appear on the labelling. They often have fruity and floral aromas when young and their potential is expressed by ageing. Where they contain fermentable sugars, the wines are generally more complex and have greater potential for ageing, which can last several decades. More exuberant notes of exotic fruit or softer notes of dried fruit are not rare and often appear over time.

The rosé wines are light and refreshing with a fine bouquet. They have a pale colour, often with salmon pink tints. They are generous on the nose, and are often dominated by a peppery scent. On the palate, their lightness and delicacy stand out.

The red wines have a ruby colour and a complex range of aromas, usually dominated by the spicy aromas associated with hints of very ripe red fruit. The Loir has been one of the key factors in the distribution and reputation of ‘Coteaux du Loir’ wines. This river allowed boatmen to ship food and wine on flat-bottomed barges known as ‘gabares’ as far as Nantes, joining the Loire in Angers. The Loir thus played the same role as the Loire, some 30 kilometres to the south, both in terms of transporting the wines and in terms of vineyards being planted close to the transport routes and in favourable topographical situations.

The parcels traditionally chosen by the producers are located on the slopes of the hillsides and at the edges of the plateau and have soils with a high coarse gravel content. These soils therefore provide excellent drainage and allow the vines to thrive in terms of their water supply and physiological ripening.

In addition, the climate conditions of the Loir valley and the vines grown there, predominantly the Pineau d’Aunis N and Chenin B varieties, which ripen in the 2nd late period and 3rd early period, respectively, require growers to expertly manage the vigour and fruiting potential of the plants by means of strict vine training and spur pruning for the Chenin B. The ‘vintage effect’, which is particularly pronounced in the geographical area, has led growers down the generations to manage the various states of ripeness of the grapes. Depending on the circumstances and climate conditions in a given vintage, the white grapes harvested will have a higher or lower sugar content. Different types of wine are produced in line with this natural richness. When climate conditions during the harvest season are particularly favourable, wines with fermentable sugars are produced from the grapes containing the most sugar. The hillsides, reinforced by the tuffeau chalk and with numerous cellars carved into them which are used for wine making and storage, enhance the ageing potential of the wines; this is reflected in the product specification by a suitable ageing period.

In the chapter dedicated to Sarthe of his Etude des vignobles de France [Study of French vineyards] in 1876, Jules Guyot wrote of the Loir valley being ‘so favourable to good grape varieties and wines’ and refers to the good reputation of the wines in the sector: ‘Jullien also mentions the wines of Jasnières, Château-du-Loir [...] as having a good and age-old reputation; I can state that at least those of Jasnières and Marçon, in the canton of Chartre, and those of Vouvray [-sur-Loir], Malicorne, Montabon and Château-du-Loir, are much better than their already good reputation suggests’.

From the 16th century, Henri IV, Rabelais and Ronsard, each with his own sensitivity and passion, praised the wines of ‘Coteaux du Loir’. Growers have been able to pass this passion down the generations by managing the various states of ripeness of the grapes of the Pineau Aunis N and Chenin B varieties, thus enhancing the original expression of the wines in this geographical area.

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

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition: a) All optional terms, the use of which, under EU rules, may be regulated by the Member States, must be printed on the labels in letters that are no larger, in height or in width, than twice the size of the letters forming the name of the controlled designation of origin. b) 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. c) The term ‘sec’ [dry] must feature on the labelling of white wines with a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) of 8 grams per litre or less. d) Wines with the controlled designation of origin may specify on their labels the name of a smaller geographical unit, provided that: - it is a place name listed in the land registry; - it appears on the harvest declaration.

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 production, processing and ageing of the wines, comprises the territory of the following municipalities (list established on the basis of the 2021 Official Geographic Code):

— Department of Indre-et-Loire: Epeigné-sur-Dême;

— Department of Loir-et-Cher: Montoire-sur-le-Loir;

— Department of Sarthe: Vancé.

Link to the product specification

http://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-d69c4f1e-c73e-4b04-8d00-6964f653d72a

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