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 2023/C 49/10
Date: 2023-02-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: France, Loire Region, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, still wine, white wine








C_2023049EN.01001301.xml










9.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 49/13






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
(2023/C 49/10)
This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1).
COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

‘Quarts de Chaume’


PDO-FR-A0829-AM02


Date of communication: 14.11.2022


DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1.   Official geographical code

The communes making up the geographical area and the area in immediate proximity have been updated in line with the official geographical code.
The demarcated geographical area itself remains unchanged.
Points 6 and 9 of the single document have been amended.
2.   Distance between vines

The minimum distance between vines in the same row has been reduced from 1 m to 0,90 m.
This enables planting density to be increased without changing the distance between rows.
A special provision has also been added for vines located on slopes where the gradient is greater than 10 %, where the authorised minimum distance between vines is 0,80 m.
This is to take account of the particular case of vines grown on steep slopes, where planting has to be done differently (planting parallel to the slope rather than perpendicular to it).
Point 5 of the single document has been amended.
3.   Pruning

The pruning rules for the designations of the Anjou Saumur area in the Loire Valley have been harmonised.
This is to improve operators’ knowledge and simplify checks. This amendment allows winegrowers to adapt to increasingly late frosts.
Point 5 of the single document has been amended.
4.   Ripeness

The minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume is 18 %. In order to take account of the difficulties of fermenting musts that are very rich in sugars, the ceiling for the actual alcoholic strength by volume has been lifted and the specification no longer lays down a minimum.
Point 4 of the single document has been amended.
5.   Transitional measures

Transitional measures no longer in force have been deleted.
The single document has not been amended.
6.   Labelling

The labelling rules for designations of the Anjou Saumur area in the Loire Valley have been further specified and harmonised. This is merely an editorial change.
Point 9 of the single document has been amended.
7.   Editorial changes

A certain number of editorial changes have been made to the specification.
These changes do not require any changes to the single document.
8.   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 merely an editorial change.
This change does not require any changes to the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name(s)

Quarts de Chaume
2.   Type of geographical indication

PDO – Protected designation of origin
3.   Categories of grapevine product







1.


Wine




4.   Description of the wine(s)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The wines are still white wines made from late-harvested grapes and their main analytical characteristics are as follows:
The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength of 18 %.
After fermentation, the wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose + fructose) of more than 85 g per litre.
The total sulphur dioxide content and total acidity are those laid down by EU legislation.
These are sweet white wines made exclusively from the Chenin B grape variety. They are powerful yet delicate, aromatically complex, with a superb balance between sweetness and nervosity on the palate, often accentuated by a hint of bitterness. They have remarkable ageing potential.






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)


25




Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)


 




5.   Winemaking practices

5.1.   Specific oenological practices

1.
Specific oenological practice
The use of screw hoppers, crusher-pumps and continuous presses is forbidden.
All enrichment techniques are banned. Any practice that lowers the temperature of the harvested grapes to below -5 °C is forbidden. The use of wood chips is forbidden.
The wines must be matured until at least 1 July of the year following the year of harvest.
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.
2.   Density

Cultivation method
The minimum planting density is 5 000 vines per hectare. Rows of vines may not be spaced more than 2 m apart. The vines making up a row must be spaced at least 0,90 m apart.
Vineyard parcels where the distance between vines in the same row is less than 0,90 m but at least 0,80 m, and where the gradient is greater than 10 %, are entitled to use the registered designation of origin for their harvest.
3.   Vine pruning and training

Cultivation method
The vines are pruned (spur pruning, cane pruning or mixed pruning) down to no more than 12 count buds per vine.
At the 11- or 12-leaf growth stage (separate flower buds), each vine may have no more than 10 fruiting canes for the year.
The foliage on the trellis must reach a height of at least 0,6 times the distance between the rows. This height is measured as the distance between the lower limit of the foliage (which must be at least 0,40 m above ground level) and the upper trimming limit (which must be at least 0,20 m above the upper trellis wire).
4.   Irrigation

Cultivation method
Irrigation is not permitted.
5.   Harvesting

Cultivation method
The wines are made from late-harvested grapes.
The grapes are harvested by hand, with pickers passing through the vineyard several times.
6.   Transporting the harvest

Cultivation method
The use of self-emptying harvest trailers with screws or vane pumps is forbidden.
In the containers used for transporting the harvest, the grapes must not be piled to a height of more than one metre.
5.2.   Maximum yields

1.
25 hectolitres per hectare
6.   Demarcated geographical area

All steps in production must take place in the geographical area comprising the territory of the following commune in the department of Maine-et-Loire, based on the 2021 official geographical code: Rochefort-sur-Loire.
7.   Wine grape variety(ies)

Chenin B
8.   Description of the link(s)

8.1.
(a)   Description of the natural factors relevant to the link

Located in the heart of Anjou, the geographical area is crossed by a steep slope stretching along an east-west axis above the river Layon. The area lies entirely within the territory of the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire. The parcels of land specifically demarcated for grape harvesting occupy around 40 hectares at the foot of that steep slope, facing south. They are located on the lowest parts of the slope, in a bend in the Layon, which they overlook, at an altitude of between 25 m and 75 m.
The bedrock of the demarcated parcels is primarily Brioverian schist – one of the site’s defining features, as rock from this geological stage, though widespread on the Layon’s left bank, is found only in certain isolated spots on the right bank. The elevated portion of the demarcated parcel area features localised deposits of puddingstone (highly eroded conglomerates of pebbles that come from rivers). The soils themselves are also highly eroded, to the point that the bedrock is often exposed, but the vines are most often planted in very thin, clayey soils. These very shallow soils have very limited available water capacity, and the sloping ground gives them excellent drainage.
The area has a subtly distinctive oceanic climate, like that of the area demarcated for the registered designation of origin ‘Coteaux de Layon’. It benefits from a foehn effect and is protected from the humidity of the ocean by the higher terrain of the Mauges massif to the west. As a result, annual precipitation is around 600 mm, while in the Mauges it is 800 mm. The small valley of Bézigon, formed by a bend in the river Layon, favours the occurrence of morning mists that conceal the vines until late morning during the autumn. This environment is sheltered from northerly, easterly and westerly winds and enjoys long hours of sunshine, allowing the gravelly soils to warm up during the springtime. The evergreen oaks that line the slope, along with mimosa and almond trees, beautifully encapsulate the fabled douceur angevine.
(b)   Description of the human factors relevant to the link

The vineyard derives its name from an old custom. In 1028, Fulk III, Count of Anjou, bequeathed a property located in the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire to the Abbaye du Ronceray d’Angers. The nuns of this abbey, aware of the site’s value, were able to turn it to best advantage. Thus, in the 15th century, the lords of La Guerche, tenants of the Tènement de Chaume, would pay the nuns with ‘the best quarter of the standing crop on the reverse of the south-facing side’. Ronceray abbey’s continued use of this land over several centuries meant that many documents were kept containing references to the wines produced in the Tènement de Chaume, as evidenced by a summons dated 23 September 1674 regarding the setting of a date for the start of the harvest. In the 17th and 18th centuries, ‘Quarts de Chaume’ wines were highly sought after by Dutch brokers, who made the vineyard by the Layon their primary supplier.
After the French Revolution, ordinary citizens were able to acquire property within the geographical area. The vineyard was restructured and divided among several properties. The new owners sought to improve the quality of the wines produced. At the start of the 20th century, the practice of long pruning for the Chenin B grape variety was repeatedly criticised by Monsieur Mignot, the owner of the Château de Bellerive, for its adverse effects.
Winegrowers swiftly came to understand the benefits of harvesting this grape variety at an advanced stage of ripeness and of using certain specific harvesting methods. In Traité des cépages (1845), Count Odart argued that ‘It should also not be harvested until it is overripe, such as the condition it reaches towards All Saints’ Day, when the skins, tenderised by the rains, are sloughed off’. Thus, overripeness was one of the essential conditions for harvest sought by the growers. In Topographie de tous les vignobles connus (1816), André Jullien stated that: ‘At the good vineyards, the grape-pickers pass through the vineyard several times; the grapes picked in the first two passes are used only for the ripest wines, providing the wines to be shipped abroad, and the grapes from the third pass are used to make wines for local consumption’.
‘Quarts de Chaume’ was recognised as a registered designation of origin by decree on 10 August 1954, a just reflection of the area’s history and the concern for quality and authenticity that has motivated the winegrowers over successive generations.
8.2.
2.   Information on the quality and characteristics of the product

Wines with the registered designation of origin ‘Quarts de Chaume’ are sweet white wines produced exclusively using the Chenin B grape variety. They are powerful yet delicate, aromatically complex, with a superb balance between sweetness and nervosity on the palate, often accentuated by a hint of bitterness. They have remarkable ageing potential.
3.   Causal interactions

The oceanic climate with a southern influence, together with the especially favourable topography, the uniquely exposed position at the foot of the slope and the shallow gravelly soils formed by the erosion of the Brioverian schist formations, are the factors that combine to make this site a perfect location for the production of great wines. Chenin B, a native grape variety, is able to flourish here and achieve its full potential, which expresses itself with a singular degree of power and elegance. Managed with the aim of producing small yields, the vines are very carefully tended by the growers.
The area owes its singular nature to its location, nestled within a bend of the river Layon. The early morning mists of autumn leave small drops of water on the skins of fully ripe grapes, favouring Botrytis cinerea infection. This fungus, responsible for noble rot, spreads over the golden bunches under the heat of the sun, increasing the grapes’ sugar concentration and enabling them to develop a greater aromatic complexity. Sometimes, during drier autumns, concentration is achieved via raisining (drying out the grapes), which takes place purely through the action of the wind and the heat. The grapes are then harvested manually, with successive tries (selections) being carried out for each parcel of land. The minimum sugar content required is 298 g per litre.
Among the vineyards of Anjou, several sites that regularly produce exceptional wines, such as ‘Quarts de Chaume’, have emerged over time. They lie at the heart of the best locations, with optimal topographical, soil and climatic conditions. They were identified and named centuries ago and both the vineyards and the cellars receive the greatest attention and care from the winegrowers. Year after year, they produce original wines that have dominated the Anjou wine rankings for centuries under the cru classification. Since the 15th century, wine from the Tènement de Chaume has been especially sought after. Initially its renown was only local, and is evidenced by the care it received from the abbess and the nuns of Ronceray, and by the following account from the Rochefort parish priest in the 1690s, who mentioned it by name when demanding his due: ‘a full cask of Chaulme wine, to be given to me by Monsieur de la Guerche from out of the nineteen that he collects from said Chaulme’.
The spread of the wines’ fame and reputation was greatly aided by the river Layon, which served as a navigational and commercial highway. It was via the Layon that, towards the end of the 18th century, Dutch merchants were able to visit the area and purchase ‘Quarts de Chaume’ wines, which travelled well by sea. In the 19th century, many writings praised these wines. They are mentioned in the French edition of A New Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar by the Scottish geographer William Guthrie (1708-1770), published in 1802, and in L’Anjou, ses vignes et ses vins (1925) Paul Maisonneuve called them ‘the pearls of the Layon’.
The wines are matured over a period of several months, enabling them to develop remarkable keeping qualities as well as enhancing their aromatic complexity. The grand cru status they have acquired reflects the winegrowers’ mastery of the practices and techniques involved in producing these wines, as well as their historical renown built up and consolidated over the course of many generations.
9.   Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)

Area in immediate proximity
Legal framework
EU legislation
Type of further condition
Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area
Description of the condition
The area in immediate proximity, in which vinification and the development and maturing of the wines can be performed by derogation, comprises the following communes in the department of Maine-et-Loire, based on the 2021 official geographical code: Aubigné-sur-Layon, Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Bellevigne-en-Layon, Brissac Loire Aubance (the delegated communes of Brissac-Quincé and Vauchrétien only), Chalonnes-sur-Loire, Chaudefonds-sur-Layon, Chemillé-en-Anjou (the delegated commune of Chanzeaux only), Denée, Doué-en-Anjou (the delegated communes of Brigné and Les Verchers-sur-Layon only), Mauges-sur-Loire (the delegated communes of Montjean-sur-Loire and La Pommeraye only), Mozé-sur-Louet, Savennières, Soulaines-sur-Aubance, Terranjou (the delegated communes of Chavagnes and Notre-Dame-d’Allençon only) and Val-du-Layon.
Labelling
Legal framework
National legislation
Type of further condition
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the condition
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, width or thickness, than twice the size of the letters spelling the registered designation of origin.
The registered designation of origin may be supplemented by the traditional term grand cru in accordance with the rules laid down in the product specification.
The registered designation of origin may be supplemented by the geographical name ‘Val de Loire’ in accordance with the rules laid down in the product specification regarding the use of that name. The geographical name ‘Val de Loire’ must be printed in letters that are no larger, either in height or in width, than two thirds the size of the letters spelling the registered designation of origin.
The name of a smaller geographical unit may appear on the labels of wines covered by the registered designation of origin, provided that:






—


it is a registered location;










—


and it appears on the harvest declaration.




The name of the registered location must be printed in letters that are no larger, either in height or in width, than half the size of the letters spelling the registered designation of origin.

Link to the product specification

https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-f1846582-d0b3-45b0-89bc-e063ecf4008c


(1)  OJ L 9, 11.1.2019, p. 2.