Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to the 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 288/04
Date: 2021-07-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Centre-Val de Loire, France, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, red wine, rosé wine, sparkling wine, still wine, white wine








C_2021288EN.01000401.xml










19.7.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 288/4






Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to the 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 288/04)
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

‘Touraine’


PDO-FR-A0501-AM02


Date of communication: 7 May 2021


DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1.   Official Geographical Code

The municipalities of the geographical area and in the immediate proximity have been updated in accordance with the Code officiel géographique [Official Geographical Code].
The boundary of the area remains the same.
Points 6 and 9 of the single document have been amended.
2.   Deletion of ‘primeur’ (‘early’) rosé wines

The possibility of making ‘primeur’ rosé wines has been removed from the specification. A wine is deleted when it is no longer produced. The link to origin has been changed to remove reference to ‘primeur’ wines.
This amendment affects point 8 of the single document.
3.   Grape variety

Cabernet Franc has been changed from ‘main variety’ to ‘secondary variety’ for the designation’s red wines.
Cabernet Franc has been changed from ‘main variety’ to ‘secondary variety’ for the Chenonceaux designation, and the Gamay variety has been deleted.
The rules on planting proportions have been adjusted as a result of these changes. The rules on planting proportions have also been amended for wines designated as ‘Gamay’.
This amendment does not concern the single document.
4.   Spacing

The spacing between plants in the same row has been lowered to 0.90 metres.
Point 5 of the single document has been amended.
5.   Pruning

Pruning methods have been simplified, and the specification now simply indicates whether the pruning is long or short, without reference to the type of pruning.
Point 5 of the single document has been amended.
6.   Maximum crop load per parcel

The maximum crop load is harmonised at 11 000 kg/ha for red, rosé, white and sparkling wines of the Touraine designation without supplementary geographical names.
This amendment does not concern the single document.
7.   Agri-environmental provisions

Two agri-environmental provisions have been added.






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Permanent grass cover is required along parcel boundaries (headlands and areas between parcels that are not planted or cultivated). This requirement does not apply to headlands being restored, in particular following erosion or exceptional climatic events.










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Full chemical weed control is forbidden on parcels intended for the production of wines eligible for a supplementary geographical name.




This amendment does not concern the single document.
8.   Blending

Blending rules have been amended together with the rules on the proportion of varieties to be planted.
This amendment does not concern the single document.
9.   Oenological charcoal

The ban on the use of oenological charcoal has been removed so as to allow the earthy-musty taste in certain batches, ‘cuvées’ contaminated with cryptogamic diseases to be remedied.
Point 5 of the single document has been amended.
10.   Link

The words ‘notes of red fruit’ are replaced by the words ‘notes of black fruit’ in the link to the origin of the Chenonceaux denomination.
Point 8 of the single document has been amended.
11.   Transitional Measures

Transitional measures that have expired have been removed from the specification.
This amendment does not affect the single document.
12.   Reporting requirements

The deadline for submitting a claim statement has been changed from 30 November to 10 December.
The single document has not been amended.
13.   Declaration of withdrawal

A declaration of withdrawal has been added:






‘9.


Declaration of withdrawal
Any operator marketing a wine with a controlled designation of origin under a more general designation shall declare it to the protection and management body and to the approved inspection body at least fifteen days before the wine’s withdrawal.’




This amendment does not lead to any changes to the single document.
14.   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. It is a purely formal amendment.
This amendment does not lead to any changes to the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name(s)

Touraine
2.   Geographical indication type

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin
3.   Categories of grapevine products







1.


Wine










5.


Quality sparkling wine




4.   Description of the wine(s)

1.   Analytical standards

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The wines comprise white, red and rosé still wines and white and rosé sparkling wines. The white, red and rosé still wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 10 %.
Each batch of wine, after bottling, meets the following analytical standards: – The white and rosé wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose plus fructose) of not more than 4 grams per litre and a total acidity level of more than 3,5 grams per litre, expressed as tartaric acid. – The red wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose plus fructose) of not more than 2 grams per litre. Malolactic fermentation is completed for red wines. The malic acid content is not more than 0,3 grams per litre. – The white and rosé wines produced without enrichment and with a minimum actual alcoholic strength by volume of 12,5 % have a fermentable sugar content (glucose plus fructose) of not more than 6 grams per litre. In this case, the total acidity content is not more than 1 gram per litre, expressed in tartaric acid, less than the fermentable sugar content (glucose plus fructose).
– After enrichment, the wines do not exceed the following total alcoholic strength by volume: 12,5 % for the white, red and rosé wines and 13 % for the white and rosé sparkling wines, if the must has been enriched.
GENERAL ANALYTICAL CHARACTERISTICS






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.   Acidity

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
For the white and rosé still wines, the volatile acidity and the total sulphur dioxide content are those laid down by EU legislation. For the red still wines, the volatile acidity and total acidity levels and the total sulphur dioxide content are those laid down by EU legislation.
For the rosé and white sparkling wines, the volatile acidity and total acidity levels and the total sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide content are those laid down by EU legislation.
Every unbottled batch of wine that may be labelled ‘primeur’ (‘early’) or ‘nouveau’ (‘new’) has a volatile acidity level not exceeding 10,2 milliequivalents per litre.
GENERAL ANALYTICAL CHARACTERISTICS






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.   Description

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Wines with the registered designation of origin ‘Touraine’ offer roundness on the palate as well as a fresh and well-balanced finish. The white wines, often with a pale golden colour, offer a gamut of flavours that can range from notes with a hint of citrus or exotic fruits to floral notes reminiscent of white flowers. They provide a lingering sense of freshness on the finish.
The rosé wines reveal delicate flavours with hints of blackcurrant, exotic fruits or citrus.
The red wines produced with the Gamay N variety – wines labelled ‘Gamay’ or designated ‘primeur’ or ‘nouveau’ – frequently have a cherry colour and generally release warm red berry notes with silky tannins. These are balanced wines, combining lightness and finesse. Those produced from blends or solely from the Cabernet Franc N variety west of a longitudinal divide passing through Tours (the ‘Tours meridian’) are elegant and powerful wines with a good tannic structure, an aromatic expression marrying red and black fruits and colours ranging from dark ruby to deep garnet.
The white and rosé sparkling wines have a predominantly acidic structure that gives the wines their freshness and finesse. This acidity is accompanied by fruity notes, and a hint of brioche may develop over time.
GENERAL ANALYTICAL CHARACTERISTICS






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

For making rosé wines, use of oenological charcoal, whether alone or mixed in preparations, is permitted for the musts and new wines still in fermentation within a limit of 15 % of the volume of rosé wines made by a given wine-grower for a specific harvest, at a maximum amount of 60 grams per hectolitre.






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Reductive methods of enrichment are permitted for the red wines with the maximum partial concentration rate set at 10 % in relation to the volumes used.










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The sparkling wines are made exclusively by second fermentation in the bottle.










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After enrichment, the wines do not exceed the following total alcoholic strength by volume: 12,5 % for the white, red and rosé wines and 13 % for the white and rosé sparkling wines, if the must has been enriched.




Besides the above provisions, the oenological practices adopted for the wines must comply with the obligations laid down by EU legislation and by the Rural and Fisheries Code.
2.   Cultivation method

The minimum planting density of the vines is 4 500 plants per hectare, with a maximum distance of 2,10 metres between rows. The spacing between plants in the same row must be greater than or equal to 0,9 metres.
The vines are pruned with a maximum of 11 buds per plant, whether pruned long or short.
Regardless of the pruning method, the vines may be pruned with 2 extra buds per plant, provided that, at the phenological stage corresponding to 11 or 12 leaves, the number of fruit-bearing branches per plant for the year is no more than 11.
5.2.   
Maximum yields



White wines

72 hectolitres per hectare

Red and rosé wines

66 hectolitres per hectare

Sparkling wines

78 hectolitres per hectare
6.   Demarcated geographical area

For the still wines, the grapes are harvested and the wines made and developed, and for the sparkling wines the grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed, aged and bottled in the territory of the following municipalities (list compiled on the basis of the Official Geographical Code for 2020):






—


Department of Indre-et-Loire: Amboise, Anché, Artannes-sur-Indre, Athée-sur-Cher, Avoine, Avon-les-Roches, Azay-le-Rideau, Azay-sur-Cher, Beaumont-en-Véron, Benais, Bléré, Bossay-sur-Claise, Bourgueil, Brizay, Candes-Saint-Martin, Cangey, Chambray-lès-Tours, Chançay, Chanceaux-sur-Choisille, La Chapelle-sur-Loire, Chargé, Cheillé, Chemillé-sur-Indrois, Chenonceaux, Chinon, Chisseaux, Chouzé-sur-Loire, Cinais, Cinq-Mars-la-Pile, Civray-de-Touraine, Coteaux-sur-Loire, Couziers, Cravant-les-Coteaux, La Croix-en-Touraine, Crouzilles, Dierre, Draché, Epeigné-les-Bois, Esvres, Fondettes, Francueil, Genillé, Huismes, L’Ile-Bouchard, Ingrandes-de Touraine, Joué-lès-Tours, Langeais (only the former municipal territory of Langeais, which is now the administrative seat of a larger municipality), Larçay, Lémeré, Lerné, Lignières-de-Touraine, Ligré, Limeray, Lussault-sur-Loire, Luynes, Luzillé, Marçay, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Montreuil-en-Touraine, Mosnes, Nazelles-Négron, Neuillé-le-Lierre, Noizay, Panzoult, Parçay-Meslay, Pocé-sur-Cisse, Pont-de-Ruan, Razines, Restigné, Reugny, Rigny-Ussé, Rivarennes, Rivière, La Roche-Clermault, Rochecorbon, Saché, Saint-Avertin, Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt, Saint-Etienne-de-Chigny, Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne, Saint-Martin-le-Beau, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes, Saint-Règle, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, Savigny-en-Véron, Savonnières, Sazilly, Seuilly, Souvigny-de-Touraine, Tavant, Theneuil, Thilouze, Thizay, Tours, Vallères, Véretz, Vernou-sur-Brenne, Villaines-les-Rochers and Vouvray;










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Department of Loir-et-Cher: Angé, Blois, Chailles, Châteauvieux, Châtillon-sur-Cher, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Chémery, Chissay-en-Touraine, Choussy, Le Controis-en-Sologne (only the territory of the merged former municipality of Contres et de Thenay), Couddes, Couffy, Faverolles-sur-Cher, Mareuil-sur-Cher, Méhers, Mesland, Meusnes, Monteaux, Monthou-sur-Bièvre, Monthou-sur-Cher, Montrichard Val de Cher, Noyers-sur-Cher, Oisly, Pontlevoy, Pouillé, Rilly-sur-Loire, Saint-Aignan, Saint-Georges-sur-Cher, Saint-Julien-de-Chédon, Saint-Romain-sur-Cher, Sassay, Seigy, Soings-en-Sologne, Thésée, Valaire, Valencisse (only the territory of the merged former municipality of Chambon-sur-Cisse and Molineuf) Vallières-les-Grandes, Valloire-sur-Cisse only the territory of the merged former municipality of Chouzy-sur-Cisse) and Veuzain-sur-Loire (only the territory of the merged former municipality of Onzain).




7.   Main wine grape variety(-ies)

Cabernet Franc N
Cabernet-Sauvignon N
Chardonnay B
Chenin B
Côt N – Malbec
Gamay N
Grolleau N
Grolleau Gris G
Meunier N
Orbois B
Pineau d’Aunis N
Pinot Gris G
Pinot Noir N
Sauvignon B – Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon gris G – Fié gris
8.   Description of the link(s)

The geographical area is a gently rolling plateau in the south-western part of the Paris Basin and is an area of confluence where three tributaries, the Cher, the Indre and the Vienne, flow into the River Loire. The vineyards occupy about a hundred linear kilometres along the river valleys, with the exception of the Sologne vineyards, which are in plateau locations between the rivers Cher and Loire.
The geographical areas of the supplementary geographical names ‘Amboise’ and ‘Mesland’ extend into the heart of the slopes strung out from west to east along the Loire Valley, while the geographical area of the supplementary name ‘Azay-le-Rideau’ runs along the valley of the River Indre. The lower Cher valley holds the territory covered by the supplementary geographical name ‘Chenonceaux’, while that of ‘Oisly’ occupies the eastern plateau located between the rivers Loire and Cher.
The general altitude rarely exceeds 100 or 120 metres in the territory of the 143 municipalities that constitute the geographical area.
The wines come from rigorously and precisely demarcated parcels, based on historical centres of production. These parcels may be divided into the following categories: – parcels with soils derived from clay with flintstone mingled with Miocene sands, soils known locally as ‘bournais perrucheux’ – parcels with soils derived from clays with flintstone, or ‘perruches’, or stony calcareous clay soils derived from limestone and known locally as ‘aubuis’; these are warm and permeable soils on the lower slopes or ‘côtes’, of the valleys; – parcels with valley soils located on terraces formed by ancient alluvial sediment, known locally as ‘graviers’.
The geographical area benefits from an oceanic climate, the influence of which diminishes significantly towards the eastern part of the area, that is to say east of the Tours meridian. Temperatures and precipitation levels testify to this diminishing influence, with some 550 millimetres of precipitation in the west, compared with up to 650 millimetres in the east and a wider temperature range in the east, indicating a more marked weakening of the oceanic influence.
The remains of an old wine press discovered in Cheillé, near Azay-le-Rideau, testify to the cultivation of wines in the Touraine region since the second century. Under the influence of the church, winemaking really thrived between the 8th and the 12th centuries.
The presence of the royal court in the Loire Valley in the 16th century in châteaux such as Chambord and Chenonceaux contributed to considerable growth in the production of quality wines and to the prestige of particular ‘crus’. Production expanded after the enactment of the Twenty Leagues Edict, which banned wine production in the area around Paris, and Gamay varieties from the region around Lyon made their appearance.
As natural transport routes, the rivers Loire and Cher offered an obvious incentive to develop production in the geographical area and to trade and export its output. The best wines were mainly traded with the Netherlands and England via the customs barrier at Ingrandes-sur-Loire, near Nantes. These quality wines were christened ‘sea wines’ (‘vins de la mer’) on account of their good transportability.
The 18th century saw the development of the vineyards in the lower Cher valley around the towns of Bléré, Thésée, Montrichard and Chenonceaux. Vine-growing in that area was described in the agricultural survey of year XII (1804). In its ‘Table of the most-cultivated vines on the slopes of the Cher’, it presents Côt as the ‘most-cultivated variety on the south-facing slopes of the Cher, producing wine of the first quality’.
In 1845, in his ‘Ampélographie Universelle’, Count Alexandre Pierre Odart also refers to the Côt N variety as ‘the most-cultivated grape variety on the banks of the Cher and the Lot’. Jules Guyot, always very precise in his descriptions, wrote the following in 1860: ‘The Breton (Cabernet Franc N) has its main centre at Bourgueil, between Chinon and Saumur, where it provides excellent wines, but it dwindles towards the east of the region, where Côt, Chardenet, Pinot Noir, Beurot and Meunier varieties (...) are predominant in Loir-et-Cher ...’.
Following the phylloxera crisis, the Touraine vineyards were reconstituted with a vine population drawn chiefly from new grafted varieties such as Gamay N and Sauvignon B. The present geographical zone then gradually developed, incorporating vine-growing areas with good quality potential. This process culminated in 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, with the recognition of the registered designation of origin ‘Coteaux de Touraine’.
In 1953, ‘Touraine’ was finally adopted.
The vineyards then covered a surface area of 8 000 hectares, and the producers, grouped into five cooperative wineries, developed the production of wines made from the Sauvignon B and Gamay N grape varieties, which were acquiring a firm reputation in the catering trade under the common names of ‘Sauvignon de Touraine’ and ‘Gamay de Touraine’.
Aware of the potential of their region and their vine varieties, from 1985 producers in the Cher Valley began to plant the varieties Côt N and Sauvignon B on parcels located on prime slopes, while those in the Sologne vineyards reserved the Sauvignon B variety for parcels with sandy soils.
This quest for authenticity has culminated in the recognition of supplementary geographical names - ‘Chenonceaux’ for the white and red wines of the Cher slopes and ‘Oisly’ for the white wines of the Sologne vineyards.
In 2009, the vineyards covered an area of 4 500 hectares, cultivated by some 800 producers. Wine production amounts to about 260 000 hectolitres, 60 % of which is white wine. Wines with the registered designation of origin ‘Touraine’ offer roundness on the palate as well as a fresh and well-balanced finish.
The white wines, often with a pale golden colour, offer a gamut of flavours that can range from notes with a hint of citrus or exotic fruits to floral notes reminiscent of white flowers. They provide a lingering sense of freshness on the finish.
The rosé wines reveal delicate flavours with hints of blackcurrant, exotic fruits or citrus.
The red wines produced with the Gamay N variety – wines labelled ‘Gamay’ or designated ‘primeur’ – frequently have a cherry colour and generally release warm red berry notes with silky tannins. These are balanced wines, combining lightness and finesse. Those produced from blends or solely from the Cabernet Franc N variety are elegant and powerful wines with a good tannic structure, an aromatic expression marrying red and black fruits and colours ranging from dark ruby to deep garnet.
The white and rosé sparkling wines have a predominantly acidic structure that gives the wines their freshness and finesse. This acidity is accompanied by fruity notes, and a hint of brioche may develop over time. Still wines: Over the course of time, the major river system formed by the Loire, the Vienne, the Cher and the Indre shaped a rolling plateau of soft rock dating from the Secondary and Tertiary periods. In the Middle Ages, under the influence of the church, vineyards were planted along the valleys that had been carved out in this way and on the edges of plateaux.
Even during the Renaissance, this closeness to waterways was an important asset that encouraged the export of Touraine wines. The permanence of the customs barrier at Ingrandes-sur-Loire, from where the wines were exported to the Netherlands, and the application of the Twenty Leagues Edict of 1577 shaped the winemaking region of the Loire and were conducive to high-quality production. Under the influence of the climatic conditions, a vine population based on the Chenin B and Cabernet Franc N varieties was developed in the western part of the geographical area, whereas Sauvignon B, Côt N and Gamay N were the varieties of choice in the eastern part. The Tours meridian marked this natural climatic boundary. In these diverse viticultural conditions facing producers, the choice of vine varieties was a dictate of nature.
In accordance with custom, the parcel area demarcated for grape harvesting is confined to parcels with good soil drainage, the soils having formed primarily on Turonian and Senonian deposits. The soil of most of the intermediate valleys comprises clay-with-flints with a high flintstone content. These flintstones are numerous on the surface and so play an important part when the grapes are ripe by increasing the rate of heat exchange in the soil. These conditions contribute greatly to the quality of the white and red wines. The Sauvignon B variety thrives especially on parcels with these ‘perruche’ soils or with the stony calcareous clay soils known as ‘aubuis’. In these conditions it finds everything it needs for perennial ripening. The wines produced on these soils and in this climate express freshness and originality. In 2009, they accounted for two thirds of the production of wine bearing the registered designation of origin. The Gamay N variety, the black grape of the post-phylloxera reconstruction, is mainly grown on parcels containing clay-with-flints soils, and the wines derived from it are fruity and lively. The red wines produced east of the Tours meridian have the Côt N variety as their backbone, whereas Cabernet Franc N dominates to the west of that line. These varieties give the wines a fine tannic structure.
Five supplementary geographical names are recognised within the registered designation of origin ‘Touraine’.

Amboise

The soft chalk plateau is quite undulating, varying in height between 80 and 100 metres. The diversity of the geopedological situations has given producers the opportunity to find the ideal growing conditions for each of the vine varieties that have established themselves. The rosé wines are fresh and fruity, the red wines, with their good tannic structure, have a fairly intense aromatic character with notes of red fruit in particular, and the white wines are generally dry but may sometimes have fermentable sugars and be labelled ‘demi-sec’ (‘semi-dry’), ‘moelleux’ (‘semi-sweet’) or ‘doux’ (‘sweet’). The ageing of red wines serves to break down their tannic structure. In the case of white wines, ageing adds to their aromatic complexity.

Azay-le-Rideau

Thanks to their location between the valleys of the Loire and the Indre, the vineyards enjoy a temperate climate. Vines of the Grolleau N and Chenin B varieties occupy the hills and the sandy, gravelly ledges, producing elegant and fresh white wines and fruity rosés. According to custom, rosé wines must be produced by the technique of direct pressing prior to fermentation so as to obtain this fruitiness. The white wines, which may sometimes have fermentable sugars, are elegant and mineral.

Chenonceaux

The geographical area stretches out along the slopes on both banks of the Cher. The vines are planted on parcels where the soils have a significant flint content. The aromatic character of the white wine is generally intense, revealing floral aromas, such as hawthorn and acacia, and fruitier notes of citrus, dried fruits, etc. Ageing, which lasts until at least 30 April of the year following the vintage, serves to add roundness and finesse. The red wines have a fine tannic structure. Their aromatic character is quite intense, with notes of black fruit in particular. Ageing, which lasts until at least 31 August of the year following the vintage, serves to produce a wine with complex aromas and rounded, silky tannins.

Mesland

The geographical area, situated to the north-east of the area covered by the registered designation of origin ‘Touraine’, corresponds to the rim of a plateau facing the Loire. The soils there are all similarly flinty with Miocene sands. The wide temperature range and the geographical location bring out the best in early-maturing grape varieties. The red and rosé wines, mainly derived from the Gamay N variety, are characterised by concentrated aromas of red berries. The white wines, which may sometimes have fermentable sugars, possess a complex aromatic character, revealing floral aromas such as hawthorn, linden blossom and verbena and fruitier notes such as citrus and pear. They often leave a lingering sensation of freshness on the palate.

Oisly

Located in the heart of the Sologne winemaking area, these vineyards produce white wines, made entirely from Sauvignon B grapes, which unlock their full potential on the continental sand and gravel soils and the typical Sologne formations comprising sand, clay and shell marl. Climatic data for the geographical area show that it has the most accentuated sub-dry season in the Touraine region. This natural environment provides wines with a freshness characterised by fine and delicate aromas with notes of citrus and white flowers. Ageing, which lasts until at least 30 April of the year following the vintage, serves to lend them complexity.
The Touraine, with its heritage of vineyards and valleys extolled by kings, is still one of the jewels of the northern winemaking regions, and its living cultural landscapes, preserved by secular vine-growing, have contributed to the inclusion of the Loire Valley as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Sparkling wines

Sparkling wines are produced in the conditions described above. Observing that bottled wines in their cellars were sometimes prone to ferment again, the Touraine producers sought to harness that phenomenon of natural aeration and benefit from it. Thus were born the wines marketed to consumers as ‘sparkling’ from the 19th century. The existence of cellars hewn out of the tuffeau (fine-grained limestone rock) helped to promote developments in the production of these wines, which requires vast temperate storage and handling areas.
Armed with experience accumulated over more than a century, the producers of sparkling wines now possess consummate expertise in the composition of their wine batches. The territorial originality of the white wines is reflected in the requirement that blends should contain 60% of the Chenin B or Orbois B grape variety. Horizontal ageing on lath racks helps to develop brioche notes and the complexity of the wines.
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 and processing of the still wines and for the making, ageing and bottling of the sparkling wines, comprises the territory of the following municipalities (list compiled on the basis of the Official Geographical Code for 2020):






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Department of Indre: Faverolles-en-Berry, Fontguenand, Lye, La Vernelle, Veuil and Villentrois;










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Department of Indre-et-Loire: Bréhémont, La Chapelle-aux-Naux, Chaveignes, Chezelles and Crissay-sur-Manse;










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Department of Loir-et-Cher: Candé-sur-Beuvron, Cheverny, Cormeray, Fresnes, Le Controis-en-Sologne (pour les territoires des communes déléguées de Feings, Fougères-sur-Bièvre et Ouchamps), Les Montils, Mont-près-Chambord, Sambin and Selles-sur-Cher;










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Department of Maine-et-Loire: Brain-sur-Allonnes and Montsoreau.




Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the condition:






—


The name of the registered designation of origin must be followed by the indication ‘Gamay’, subject to compliance with the provisions laid down in the product specification.










—


The name of the registered designation of origin may be followed by one of the following supplementary geographical names, subject to compliance with the provisions laid down in the product specification: ‘Amboise’, ‘Azay-le-Rideau’, ‘Chenonceaux’, ‘Mesland’ and ‘Oisly’.










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The name of the registered designation of origin may be followed by the indication ‘primeur’ (‘early’) or ‘nouveau’ (‘new’), subject to compliance with the provisions laid down in the product specification.










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Where EU legislation specifies that the use of optional indications may be regulated by the Member States, such indications shall be printed on labels in lettering which, in height and in width, is not more than twice the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.










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The size of the lettering for the geographical designation ‘Val de Loire’ must not be larger, either in height or width, than two thirds of the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.





Supplementary indications

Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:






—


The supplementary geographical name ‘Amboise’, ‘Azay-le-Rideau’ or ‘Mesland’ must be printed after the name of the registered designation of origin in lettering which, in height and in width, is not larger than the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.










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The supplementary geographical name ‘Chenonceaux’ or ‘Oisly’ must be printed underneath the name of the registered designation of origin in lettering which, in height and in width, is not larger than the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin.










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The white wines bearing the supplementary geographical name ‘Amboise’, ‘Mesland’ or ‘Azay-le-Rideau’ must have on their label the indication ‘demi-sec’ (‘semi-dry’), subject to compliance with the analytical standards for this indication in the product specification, or the indication ‘moelleux’ (‘semi-sweet’) or ‘doux’ (‘sweet’) corresponding to the fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) of the wine, as defined by EU legislation.





Labelling

Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:






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The rosé wines bearing the supplementary geographical name ‘Mesland’ must have on their label the indication ‘demi-sec’ (‘semi-dry’), subject to compliance with the analytical standards for this indication in the product specification, or the indication ‘moelleux’ (‘semi-sweet’) or ‘doux’ (‘sweet’) corresponding to the fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) of the wine as defined by EU legislation.










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For wines that may be labelled ‘primeur’ (‘early’) or ‘nouveau’ (‘new’), the vintage must also appear on the label.










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Wines with the registered designation of origin may specify on their labels the name of a smaller geographical unit, provided that:






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it is a place name listed in the land registry;










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the name appears on the harvest declaration.














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The indication ‘Gamay’ is printed immediately below the name of the registered designation of origin in lettering that must not be smaller, either in height or width, than two thirds of the size of the letters forming the name of the registered designation of origin but must be no larger than those letters.





Link to the product specification

http://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-3cc0de2e-abb5-4e4c-a927-b9edf3c0b4b5


(1)  OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2.