Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to the 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 379/10)

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

‘CÔTES D’AUVERGNE’

PDO-FR-A0925-AM03

Submitted on: 15.9.2020

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1. Geographical area

The municipalities of the geographical area have been updated in accordance with the official geographical code. As a result, the municipalities of Mezel and Dallet have been removed and the municipality of Mur-sur-Allier has been added (Mezel and Dallet having been merged into one municipality).

This is a purely editorial change that does not affect the geographical area.

The amendment concerns point 6 of the single document.

2. Demarcated parcel area

In point (IV)(2) of Chapter I of the product specification, the words ‘and 17 June 2020’ have been added after ‘16 November 2010’. The words ‘and 17 June 2020’ have been added after ‘3 May 2017’.

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 this amendment.

3. Area in immediate proximity

The municipalities in the area in immediate proximity have been updated in accordance with the official geographical code. The municipality of ‘Villeneuve-Lembron’ has therefore been renamed ‘Villeneuve’.

The amendment concerns point 9 of the single document.

4. Date for circulation between authorised warehouses

Point IX(4)(b) of Chapter 1 concerning the date from which wines can be circulated between authorised warehouses has been deleted.

The single document is not affected by this amendment.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Product name

Côtes d’Auvergne

2. Geographical indication type

PDO - Protected Designation of Origin

3. Categories of grapevine product

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

The wines in question are still white, red and rosé wines with the following analytical characteristics: minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume: 10,5 %; fermentable sugar (glucose and fructose) content not greater than 3 g/l and total acidity not greater than 112 milliequivalents per litre at the packaging stage. After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12,5 %.

Their total volatile acidity and total sulphur dioxide content are as laid down in EU legislation.

Red wines in batches ready to be marketed in bulk or at the packaging stage have a malic acid content not greater than 0,4 grams per litre. The white wines generally have hints of citrus fruit, exotic fruit or ripe pear, sometimes evolving towards roasted aromas with age. They usually have a certain liveliness, but can also be fat and full-bodied on the palate.

The rosé wines are delicate with aromas often dominated by fruitiness (citrus fruit, exotic fruit and red fruit, among others).

The red wines usually have a deep colour, and their aromas, often fruity in the young wines (blackcurrant, redcurrant, etc.), sometimes evolve towards notes of candied ripe fruit, sour cherry or spices (notably pepper) with age.

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 content (in milligrams per litre):

5. Winemaking practices

a. Specific oenological practices

Specific oenological practice

It is not permitted to use oenological charcoal, either alone or mixed in preparations, to make the rosé wines. Subtractive enrichment techniques are permitted for the red wines, the maximum partial concentration rate being set at 10 % in relation to the volumes used. After enrichment, the wines’ total alcoholic strength by volume must not exceed 12,5 %. In addition to the above provisions, all winemaking practices followed must also comply with the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.

Cultivation method

— Training systems (a) Planting density The minimum vine planting density is 4 400 plants per hectare. The distance between the rows of vines is up to 2,50 metres and the spacing between plants in the same row is between 0,90 metres and 1,40 metres. (b) Pruning rules The vines are pruned with a maximum of 12 buds per plant, using the following techniques: – single Guyot pruning with a single cane and up to two spurs; – short double Guyot (Y-type) pruning with two canes and up to two spurs; – short pruning (Cordon de Royat or fan pruning). After flowering there are up to 10 fruit-bearing branches per plant (Lorenz phenological growth stage 23).

b. Maximum yields

60 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

The grapes are harvested and the wines made and developed in the following municipalities of the department of Puy-de-Dôme (list established on the basis the 2020 Official Geographic Code): Aubière, Authezat, Beaumont, Beauregard-Vendon, Billom, Blanzat, Boudes, Cébazat, Chalus, Chanonat, Chas, Châteaugay, Châtel-Guyon, Chauriat, Clermont-Ferrand, Corent, Cournon-d’Auvergne, Le Crest, Gimeaux, Laps, Lempdes, Malauzat, Les Martres-de-Veyre, Ménétrol, Mirefleurs, Mur-sur-Allier, Neschers, Orcet, Pérignat-lès-Sarliève, Pignols, Plauzat, Prompsat, Riom, La Roche-Blanche, La Roche-Noire, Romagnat, Saint-Amant-Tallende, Saint-Bonnet-lès-Allier, Saint-Georges-sur-Allier, Saint-Hérent, Saint-Maurice, Saint-Sandoux, Saint-Yvoine, Sauvagnat-Sainte-Marthe La Sauvetat, Sayat, Tallende, Vertaizon, Veyre-Monton, Vic-le-Comte, Volvic and Yssac-la-Tourette.

7. Main wine grape variety(-ies)

Pinot noir N

8. Description of the link(s)

1. Information on the geographical area

(a) Description of the natural factors relevant to the link

The geographical area in the department of Puy-de-Dôme extends about 80 kilometres north to south and 15 kilometres east to west, mainly along the edges of the Limagne basin and on the flanks of the volcanic structures dotting the area between the Livradois mountains to the east and the Sancy mountain range to the west. The winegrowing area is characterised by a multitude of small, scattered vine plots, almost all of them located on fairly steep slopes at an altitude of between 350 m and 550 m in the territory of the 53 municipalities that make up the geographical area.

Volcanic activity shaped the area’s varied landscape, including the Chaîne des Puys mountain range, the highest peak of which is, at 1 464 m, the Puy de Dôme. The well-known supplementary geographical names such as ‘Boudes’, ‘Chanturgue’, ‘Châteaugay’, ‘Corent’ and ‘Madargue’, each with their specific qualities, reflect the diversity of the area. ‘Madargue’ vineyards are located on a hillside with white marly soils in the municipality of Riom. Emblematic of the ‘Côtes d’Auvergne’ designation, ‘Chanturgue’ vineyards (the name derives from the Celtic words ‘cantalo’, meaning ‘bright’, and ‘clarus’, meaning ‘clearly visible’) are situated on steep slopes (with a gradient of more than 25 %) on a basaltic plateau. The name ‘Châteaugay’ refers to vineyards located on the slopes of an ancient basaltic flow fragmented into several small plateaus. ‘Corent’ vineyards owe their renown to a ‘puy’ (volcanic hill) formed during the last eruptions, with dark soils rich in volcanic colluvium. The name ‘Boudes’ refers to vineyards located on a vast limestone hill, protected at the top by a basaltic flow.

The demarcated parcel area for harvesting the grapes has very diverse soils, with material ranging from marl, basalt and volcanic colluvium to granite and gneiss. However, all the soils have good thermal properties and low water retention, and most of the parcels are well exposed.

The geographical area enjoys a semi-continental climate. The Foehn effect created by the Chaîne des Puys and the Sancy massif protects it from humid air masses from the west, meaning the temperature is generally higher than in the surrounding area.

(b) Description of the human factors relevant to the geographical link

Winegrowing in the department of Puy-de-Dôme dates at least as far back as the fifth century, as evidenced by the writings of Sidoine Apollinaire, the then Bishop of Clermont. Encouraged by the nobility and the clergy and later the bourgeoisie, quality vineyards developed throughout the Middle Ages up until the late 18th century, when the planted area reached some 21 000 hectares.

By abolishing obstacles to trade in wines, the French Revolution allowed a great many farmers to own their own land and grow vineyards. As a result, the number of small, privately owned vineyards increased four-fold between 1789 and 1804, and by 1850 the planted area in the department of Puy-de-Dôme had increased from 21 000 to 34 000 hectares. Gamay N became the preferred variety because it was well adapted to the pruning methods used. Dr Jules Guyot remarked that ‘vines must be grown intelligently’. ‘Gamay d’Auvergne’, a variety with ‘loose’ bunches and late budding selected from Gamay N, was identified.

Winegrowing flourished thanks to the ports of Allier, which offered an outlet towards the north. The wine could be transported down the Loire river to Orléans, and from there to the Seine (and Paris) by land. The river was therefore a major contributor to the winegrowers’ prosperity.

In 1895 there were 45 000 hectares of vineyards.

From 1890 phylloxera spread rapidly across Auvergne, destroying many of its vineyards. The affected areas were only partially recovered, at the initiative of a few determined producers, after 1900. In 1902 a wine laboratory was set up, and in 1929 an association for the protection of ‘Châteauguay’ wines was established. It was extended to cover all Auvergne wines in 1932. That same year, the ‘Vins d’Auvergne’ designation of origin was granted, by a judgment of the Tribunal de Riom, for wines made from Gamay N, Pinot noir N and Chardonnay B grapes on the territory of 171 municipalities of the department of Puy-de-Dôme.

This led producers to combine their efforts and create one cooperative winery in Aubière in 1935, followed by a second, the Cave des Coteaux d’Auvergne, in 1950, renamed ‘Cave Saint-Verny’ in 2010. Finally, a winegrowers’ association (confrérie vigneronne) was set up in 1948 to promote Auvergne wines.

This growing emphasis on quality soon permitted five sectors to distinguish themselves as the region’s dynamic force: ‘Boudes’, ‘Chanturgue’, ‘Châteaugay’, ‘Corent’ and ‘Madargue’. Their efforts resulted in the recognition of the ‘Côtes d’Auvergne’ designation of origin as a ‘vin délimité de qualité supérieure’ in May 1951. Winegrowing has, to a large extent, remained a family business in Auvergne. Thus, in 2008, the region’s 330 hectares under vines were exploited by some 150 winegrowers. Of those, around 50 are private wineries and about 100 are affiliated to the cooperative winery. Red wines account for 75 % of the total production of some 11 000 hectolitres.

2. Information on the quality and characteristics of the product

The white wines generally have hints of citrus fruit, exotic fruit or ripe pear, sometimes evolving towards roasted aromas with age. They usually have a certain liveliness, but can also be fat and full-bodied on the palate. The rosé wines are delicate with aromas often dominated by fruitiness (citrus fruit, exotic fruit and red fruit, among others).

The red wines usually have a deep colour, and their aromas, often fruity in the young wines (blackcurrant, redcurrant, etc.), sometimes evolve towards notes of candied ripe fruit, sour cherry or spices (notably pepper) with age.

3. Causal interaction

Above all, the wines owe their unique qualities to the location of the winegrowing municipalities and parcels on the slopes of volcanic hills or ‘puys’, sheltered from low pressure systems from the west by the Chaîne des Puys and the Sancy massif.

Foehn winds have a major impact on the geographical area in terms of regulating temperatures and limiting rainfall. With warm summers and an annual average rainfall of 600 millimetres, the vines enjoy excellent weather conditions throughout the growing season on parcels that are specifically demarcated for harvesting grapes. These conditions ensure an early start to the growing season and allow the grapes to reach optimum ripeness.

The wines’ unique qualities are also due to the choice of varieties through a selection process that has taken place quite naturally over the region’s long history of winegrowing. Gamay N, Pinot noir N and Chardonnay B, all early varieties, have proved to be those best adapted to these specific conditions.

Those conditions have also required careful management of the plants and their production potential, through a high planting density, rigorous pruning, relatively high foliage and vegetation cover to protect the soil.

The growers’ expertise in tending the vine and controlling the yields, combined with their winemaking knowhow, attests to the strong link between the volcanic soils, characterised by very good thermal properties and low water retention, and the quality of the wines: lively whites that are fat on the palate with aromas of citrus fruit, delicate and fruity rosés and reds with fruity flavours and spicy notes.

It was thus the efforts of several generations of winegrowers that resulted in the recognition of Auvergne wines in the 1932 judgment, later confirmed by the recognition of the five supplementary geographical names that have always enjoyed a strong reputation in Auvergne.

The long-standing use of these local names in the geographical area is evidence of the renown of the wines bearing the ‘Côtes d’Auvergne’ registered designation of origin.

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:

Area in immediate proximity

The area in immediate proximity, defined by derogation for making and developing the wines, comprises the territory of the following municipalities of the department of Puy-de-Dôme (list established on the basis the 2020 Official Geographic Code): Beauregard-l’Évèque, Busséol, Le Cendre, Chadeleuf, Champeix, Chidrac, Coudes, Davayat, Égliseneuve-près-Billom, Espirat, Gerzat, Glaine-Montaigut, Ludesse, Madriat, Mareugheol, Montmorin, Montpeyroux, Mozac, Nohanent, Orbeil, Pardines, Parent, Pérignat-sur-Allier, Pont-du-Château, Reignat, Saint-Bonnet-près-Riom, Saint-Germain-Lembron, Saint-Julien-de-Coppel, Saint-Myon, Saint-Saturnin, Sallèdes, Teilhède, Vassel, Villeneuve and Yronde-et-Buron.

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The ‘Côtes d’Auvergne’ registered designation of origin may, in accordance with the provisions laid down in the specification, be supplemented by one of the following geographical names: ‘Boudes’, ‘Chanturgue’, ‘Châteaugay’, ‘Corent’ or ‘Madargue’.

(a) All optional terms whose use, 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 registered designation of origin.

(b) The size of the letters forming the supplementary geographical names may not be larger, either in height or in width, than the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.

(c) The labels of wines marked with the registered designation of origin may bear the name of a smaller geographical entity, provided that: – it is a registered place name; – it appears on the harvest declaration. The place name must be printed in letters no larger, either in height or in width, than half the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.

Link to the product specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-cd494272-3449-4ec1-a273-0ee14a3e54f7

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