Communication of the 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

(2021/C 83/11)

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

‘GIGONDAS’

PDO-FR-A0143-AM02

Date of communication: 14.12.2020

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1. Area in immediate proximity

The communes of Visan and Mazan have been added to the list of communes in the department of Vaucluse that make up the area in immediate proximity.

The addition of the communes of Visan and Mazan, which are adjacent to the defined area, should help expand this PDO while retaining the factors that define it, notably the human link. The PDO’s protection and management body has emphasised the involvement of operators who produce the wines and have winemaking facilities in these two communes.

This amendment affects the single document and appears under ‘further conditions – area in immediate proximity’.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Name of product

Gigondas

2. Type of geographical indication

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

3. Category of grapevine product

1. Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

Still rosé wines

The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 12,5 %.

At the time of packaging:

The fermentable sugar content (glucose+fructose) is not more than 3 g per litre;

The other analytical criteria are in line with EU rules.

The red and rosé wines are mostly produced from the Grenache N, Syrah N and Mourvèdre N varieties.

Grenache N brings tannins and roundness to the blends. A moderate quantity of Syrah N strengthens the colour and aromatic intensity and enhances the ageing potential, without altering the character of the wine.

Mourvèdre N, with its high antioxidant capacity, perfectly complements Grenache N. It enhances the wine’s aromatic complexity, adds spicy notes and is perfectly suited to ageing in wood.

The rosé wine, despite making up only a small percentage of the overall production, deserves considerable attention, notably due to its fullness on the palate. It is a rich pink colour with tints of purple. The nose is characterised by a bouquet of almonds and cooked berries, while on the palate, it is heady yet well balanced.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) 14,5 Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum total acidity in milliequivalents per litre Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 14,28 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

Still red wines

The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 12,5 %.

At the time of packaging:

— the malic acid content is no more than 0,4 g per litre at the time of packaging,

— the total polyphenol index is at least 45,

— the fermentable sugar content (glucose+fructose) is not more than 3 g per litre.

The other analytical criteria are in line with EU rules.

The red and rosé wines are mostly produced from the Grenache N, Syrah N and Mourvèdre N varieties.

Grenache N brings tannins and roundness to the blends. A moderate quantity of Syrah N strengthens the colour and aromatic intensity and gives the wine greater ageing potential, without altering its character.

Mourvèdre N, with its high antioxidant capacity, perfectly complements Grenache N. It enhances the wine’s aromatic complexity, adds spicy notes and is perfectly suited to ageing in wood.

The red wine is well suited to ageing. Its shimmering red colour ranges from ruby to a dark garnet. Robust and generous, it possesses aromas of very ripe red and black fruits in its youth, later developing wild notes of undergrowth and truffles.

General analytical characteristics Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume) 14,5 Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume) Minimum total acidity in milliequivalents per litre Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre) 17,3 Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

5. Winemaking practices

a. Specific oenological practices

Training of the vines

Cultivation method

— The distance between rows must not exceed 2,5 m.

— The area available for each vine must not exceed 2,5 m2. This area is calculated by multiplying the distance between rows by the distance between vines in the same row.

— The distance between plants in the same row must be between 0,8 m and 1,25 m.

— The vines are pruned short (goblet or cordon de Royat) with a maximum of six spurs. There are a maximum of two count buds on each spur.

— The formation or regeneration period for the cordon de Royat is limited to two years. During this period, single Guyot pruning is permitted, with a maximum of eight count buds on the cane, and one spur with a maximum of two count buds.

Irrigation may be authorised.

Winemaking practices

Specific oenological practice

— Any heat treatment of the wine harvest at a temperature above 40 °C is forbidden,

— The use of wood chips is forbidden,

— When making rosé wines, the use of oenological charcoal is forbidden, whether alone or mixed in preparations.

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.

b. Maximum yields

40 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

The grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed and aged in the commune of Gigondas in the department of Vaucluse.

7. Main wine grape varieties

Grenache N

Mourvèdre N - Monastrell

Syrah N - Shiraz

8. Description of the link(s)

Located at the heart of the southern vineyards of the Rhône Valley and recognised as a Cru des Côtes du Rhône, the area defined for the production of wines bearing the registered designation of origin ‘Gigondas’ forms an integral part of the remarkable Dentelles de Montmirail limestone massif, which erosion has sculpted into an imposing and spectacular shape. The defined geographical area comprises the commune of Gigondas in the department of Vaucluse. The vineyards are planted at an altitude of between 160 and 400 metres and the exposure of the land is such that they are protected from excessive summer sun. Their hillside location protects them from fog and spring frosts, ensuring a regular harvest each year. The climate is typically Provençal, a climate of contrasts, marked by Mediterranean summer heat and the fierce Mistral wind. As in all parts of the Mediterranean region, rainfall can be very heavy around the spring and autumn equinoxes.

For two thousand years, the people of Gigondas, a village at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail, have made their living mainly from viticulture. The first winemaking estates are thought to have been established by the soldiers of the second Roman legion. In the 19th century, the production of ‘Gigondas’ wines steadily increased, as did their renown. On the basis of this reputation ‘Gigondas’ became a protected designation of origin in 1924, in accordance with the law of 6 May 1919.

Initially registered under the ‘Côtes du Rhône’ registered designation of origin (recognised by decree on 19 November 1937), ‘Gigondas’ wines were soon recognised for their quality and their distinctive character. As a result, from 1951 the name of the commune was naturally allowed to appear on the label alongside the registered designation of origin ‘Côtes du Rhône’. On 6 January 1971, ‘Gigondas’ itself was recognised by decree as a registered designation of origin, thereby joining the Crus des Côtes du Rhône family of wines.

Two types of wine are produced: red wines, which account for 99% of production, and a much smaller quantity of rosé wines. Both red and rosé wines are mostly produced from the Grenache N, Syrah N and Mourvèdre N varieties.

The red wine is well suited to ageing. Its shimmering red colour ranges from ruby to a dark garnet. Robust and generous, it possesses aromas of very ripe red and black fruits in its youth, later developing wild notes of undergrowth and truffles.

The rosé wine, despite making up only a small percentage of the overall production, deserves considerable attention, notably due to its fullness on the palate. It is a rich pink colour with tints of purple. The nose is characterised by a bouquet of almonds and cooked berries, while on the palate, it is heady yet well balanced.

Gigondas, once known as jucunditas (Latin for ‘great joy’) may be justly considered a prime location for the production of wines with a strongly distinctive identity whose quality has long been recognised.

The area is perfectly suited to winegrowing and over the centuries the local people have been able to turn this to best advantage and work carefully with the unique raw material, which is the fruit of their labours on the land.

In magnificent surroundings, among holm oak and olive trees, with a good mesoclimate, the vineyards are planted on permeable soils that lessen the erosion caused by runoff water and enable the carefully selected plots of land to dry out quickly. Generally, these soils combine a clayey matrix, suitable for controlled water management, with a high gravel content that helps them to dry out and has a beneficial effect on temperatures when the grapes are ripening. The slopes are located at an altitude of 160 m to 400 m, above the Rhône mists, and together with their orientation (north-north-west) this protects the vines from excessive sun and from spring frosts.

The commune of Gigondas thus offers all the advantages of the Provençal climate, i.e. plentiful sunshine and the Mistral, a cold dry wind that helps to prevent fungal diseases and increase natural concentrations in the fruit, without the disadvantages, thanks to the protection provided by the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain range.

Over two thousand years, all these factors, combined with the winegrowers’ hard work and expertise, notably evident in their choice of grape varieties and mandatory sorting of the fruit, have led to the recognition and renown of ‘Gigondas’ wines and above all allowed them to retain their distinctive character.

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

Area in immediate proximity

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 making, development and ageing of the wines, comprises the territory of the following communes in the department of Vaucluse: Aubignan, Le Barroux, Beaumes-de-Venise, Beaumont-du-Ventoux, Bédarrides, Bollène, Buisson, Caderousse, Cairanne, Camaret-sur-Aigues, Caromb, Carpentras, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Courthezon, Le Crestet, Entrechaux, Faucon, Jonquières, Lafare, Lagarde-Paréol, Lamotte-du-Rhône, Lapalud, Loriol-du-Comtat, Malaucène, Mazan, Mondragon, Mornas, Orange, Piolenc, Puymeras, Rasteau, Roaix, La Roque-Alric, Sablet, Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Saint-Hippolyte-le-Graveyron, Saint-Léger-du-Ventoux, Saint-Marcellin-lès-Vaison, Saint-Romain-en-Viennois, Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde, Sarrians, Séguret, Sérignan-du-Comtat, Sorgues, Suzette, Travaillan, Uchaux, Vacqueyras, Vaison-la-Romaine, Vedène, Villedieu, Violès and Visan.

Additional labelling information

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

(a) Wines bearing the registered designation of origin may display the name of a smaller geographical unit on their labels, provided that: — it is a registered location, — it appears on the harvest declaration.

(b) Wines bearing the registered designation of origin may display the broader geographical unit ‘Cru des Côtes du Rhône’ or ‘Vignobles de la Vallée du Rhône’ on their labels. The rules governing the display of the broader geographical unit ‘Vignobles de la Vallée du Rhône’ are set out in the agreement signed between the protection and management bodies concerned.

Link to the product specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-390b3134-5e0e-48c1-a6ed-8dae06798096

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