EN Official Journal of the European Union C 308/47

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2009/C 308/13

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006. Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘MÂCONNAIS’

EC No: FR-PDO-0005-0553-28.08.2006

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Mâconnais’

2. Member State or third country:

France

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.3 — Cheeses

3.2. Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies:

‘Mâconnais’ cheeses are made from raw, full-fat goat's milk.

The cheese, with a small amount of rennet added, obtained from a lactic curd is in the shape of a truncated cone, soft, cream-coloured, homogenous, creamy, firm, smooth, and melts in the mouth. It is covered mainly with geotrichum. Marks of blue penicillium in particular may appear during the ripening process.

Its weight at the end of the minimum ripening period is between 50 and 65 g (minimum 30 g in case of prolonged ripening).

‘Mâconnais’ cheese contains at least 45 g of dry matter per 100 g of cheese and 45 g of fats per 100 g of cheese when it is completely dried out.

3.3. Raw materials:

—

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

The feeding of the herd is based on a grazing system with fodder sourced exclusively from the geographical area defined under point 4 of the present single document.

Fodder consists of grass (from grazing areas or provided in troughs) and hay from permanent and/or temporary pastures. Single-culture temporary pastures are prohibited, except for lucerne.

During grazing or green feeding periods the share of fresh grass obtained from grazing or provided in troughs corresponds to at least a third of the daily ration of each goat, where the amount of hay may not exceed 1,2 kg of raw matter and complementary feedingstuffs may not exceed 1 kg of raw matter.

All forms of fermented feed are prohibited in the feedingstuffs of the goat herd.

Complementary feedingstuffs are composed of authorised raw materials in accordance with a positive list. The annual quantity of complementary feedingstuffs distributed may not exceed 350 kg of raw matter per goat.

Only plants, co-products and complementary feedingstuffs derived from non-transgenic products are authorised in the animal feed. The planting of transgenic crops is prohibited in all areas of farms producing milk intended for processing into cheese with the protected designation of origin ‘Mâconnais’. This prohibition extends to all plant species which may be included in animal feedingstuffs and the cultivation of all species which may contaminate the latter.

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

The milk is produced and the cheese manufactured and ripened in the geographical area.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

—

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

In addition to the regulatory information requirements applicable to all cheeses, every ‘Mâconnais’ cheese is marketed with a label. The label comprises a part which is common to all operators bearing the name ‘Mâconnais’ and the words ‘Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée’ or ‘AOC’ and an operator-specific part showing the operator's details. The dimensions of the characters in which the name ‘Mâconnais’ appears are equal to at least two thirds of the size of the largest characters appearing on the label.

However, in case of direct sales by the producer or any person under their direct responsibility, on farms or at markets, the individual label is not mandatory; the corresponding information must simply appear on a sign.

The models to be used for labels and signs are produced by the group responsible for their distribution.

The name ‘Mâconnais’ followed by the words ‘Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée’ or ‘AOC’ must appear on invoices and commercial documents.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The milk is produced and the cheese manufactured and ripened in the geographical area comprising the following municipalities:

Département du Rhône (69) Cenves

Département de Saône et Loire (71) Ameugny, Azé, Berzé-La-Ville, Berzé-le-Châtel, Bissy-la-Mâconnaise, Bissy-sous-Uxelles, Blanot, Bourgvilain, Boyer, Brandon, Bray, Bresse-sur-Grosne, Burgy, Bussières, Chaintré, Champagny-sous-Uxelles, Chânes, Chapaize, La Chapelle-sous-Brancion, Charbonnières, Chardonnay, Charnay-lès-Mâcon, Chasselas, Château, Chevagny-lès-Chevrières, Chissey-lès-Mâcon, Clermain, Clessé, Cluny, Cormatin, Cortambert, Cortevaix, Crêches-sur-Saône, Cruzille, Davayé, Donzy-le-National, Donzy-le-Pertuis, Etrigny, Farges-lès-Mâcon, Flagy, Fleurville, Fuissé, Grevilly, Hurigny, Igé, Jalogny, Jugy, Lacrost, Laives, Laizé, Leynes, Lournand, Lugny, Mâcon, Malay, Mancey, Martailly-lès-Brancion, Massilly, Massy, Mazille, Milly-Lamartine, Montagny-sur-Grosne, Montbellet, Montceaux-Ragny, Nanton, Ozenay, Péronne, Pierreclos, Plottes, Préty, Prissé, La Roche-Vineuse, Royer, Saint-Albain, Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé, Saint-Martin-Belle-Roche, Saint-Maurice-de-Satonnay, Saint-Point, Saint-Vérand, Saint-Vincent-des-Près, Sainte-Cécile, La Salle, Salornay-sur-Guye, Sennecey-le-Grand, Senozan, Serrières, Sologny, Solutré-Pouilly, Taizé, Tournus, Tramayes, Uchizy, Varennes-lès-Mâcon, Vergisson, Vers, Verzé, Le Villars, La Vineuse, Vinzelles, Viré, Vitry-lès-Cluny.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

Natural factors

The geographical area of the ‘Mâconnais’ cheese extends over a series of calcareous mountain ranges situated at between 200 and 600 m altitude which benefit from:

— calcareous or calcic soils,

— a varied climate, predominantly continental, but extensively exposed to oceanic and Mediterranean influences.

The Mâconnais region is an area of mixed farming, vine-growing and livestock rearing, organised horizontally in relation to the mountain ranges:

— valley floors, marly, impervious and damp are given over to grasslands,

— lower parts of mountainsides, more fertile, are used for cultivation of cereals,

— vines thrive on the most stony slopes,

— while at heights in excess of 400 m altitude or in areas which are too exposed to the north the vines give way to dry grasslands and then forests of various densities.

Goat herds thus occupy the edges of this agricultural area dominated essentially by vines — the humid grasslands of valleys and dry grasslands of mountainsides. They supplement their foodstuffs by grazing on boundary hedges and in groves.

Human factors

Goat rearing appeared at a very early stage as a complementary activity to wine-producing. Generally the domain of women, goat rearing provided a guaranteed income and a substantial food supply for domestic purposes.

Despite numerous attempts to eradicate goats from the Mâconnais area over the course of the 19th century, as they were considered detrimental to the rural economy due to the damage caused to young trees and hedges, the size of the herd fluctuated as the wine-producing crises unfolded.

Traditionally the cheeses are dried rather than truly ripened. They are placed in a cheese cage, known as a ‘chazère’, which is suspended under the eaves in the open air, out of the reach of rodents and insects. This small cheese lends itself particularly well to winegrowers’ traditional daily snack and is a perfect accompaniment to the white wines of the Mâconnais region.

Benefiting from the distribution channels for wine, ‘Mâconnais’ cheese was distributed extensively beyond the vineyards. In 1885 ‘Mâconnais’ cheese featured in a specialist English-language publication on dairy products. Since 1950 its reputation has grown continuously.

The 20th century saw a trend towards specialisation and an increase in herd size as a result of the flourishing economic performance of this activity. This trend continues to date, with production continuing to be essentially farm-based.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

‘Mâconnais’ is a small cheese made from raw, full-fat goat's milk, with a small amount of rennet added, obtained from a lactic curd. It is characterised by:

— its distinctive truncated cone shape,

— its small size and its weight of between 50 and 65 g after 10 days of ripening,

— its cream colour, its texture which is soft, homogenous, creamy, firm and smooth and its flavoursome taste,

— its rind which develops from beige/ivory when young to bluish as it ripens; it is covered mainly with geotrichum and blue marks, of penicillium in particular, may appear during the ripening process.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

‘Mâconnais’ is distinguished principally by its characteristic truncated cone shape reminiscent of the plug of a barrel. This easily identifiable feature is due to the use of a specific strainer and to the fact that the cheeses are not rotated during the manufacturing process. This specific shape is intrinsically linked to the history of wine cultivation: ‘Mâconnais’ cheeses were traditionally manufactured by the wives of winegrowers. As women were also involved in work in the vineyards they had little time for the production of goat's cheese and were therefore unable to reload the strainers several times a day or rotate the cheeses.

The small size of ‘Mâconnais’ cheeses may be attributable to several factors:

— firstly, the way in which it is eaten: ‘Mâconnais’ is a cheese which was traditionally eaten fresh or dry and its small size proved particularly practical as it was approximately equivalent to an individual portion, whether fresh, served in a small bowl with cream, or drier, and thus easily transportable, taken to the vineyards for the daily snack,

— the short supply of milk on wine-producing farms in the Mâconnais region due to both the small size of herds and the paucity of pastures was conducive to the manufacture of a small cheese which, moreover, was more economically viable.

The organoleptic characteristics of this product derive from several factors:

— the type of milk, which is produced essentially from calcicolous grasslands,

— the processing of this milk, used raw and in full-fat form, favouring inoculation with lactic bacteria obtained from whey,

— the development of the curd which is directly influenced by the size of the cheese,

— the non-uniform salting — only one side is salted as the cheese is not rotated,

— and finally the ripening which is directly influenced by the size of the cheese and the very varied climate of the Mâconnais region.

Reference to publication of the specification:

https://www.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/CDCMaconnais.pdf