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
Date: 2024-10-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, red wine, rosé wine, still wine, white wine








C_202406289EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/6289


18.10.2024






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
(C/2024/6289)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1).
COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT


                     ‘Côtes de Provence’
                  


PDO-FR-A0392-AM05


Date of communication: 25 July 2024
                  


DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT


Vine varieties

In the specification, Chapter I, Section V, point 1, ‘Vine varieties’, the list of grape varieties has been extended for the production of red, rosé and white wines. The varieties Floreal B, Souvignier Gris B and Sauvignac B have been added and may now account for up to 5 % of the vine varieties grown and 10 % of the blends.
The inclusion of these varieties is one of the solutions adopted for the designation in response to climate change and reduced use of plant health products. The new secondary varieties are consistent with the profile of the wines of the designation, and allow adaptation to drought and fungal diseases. They allow the use of plant health products to be reduced.
In the single document, the ‘Wine grape varieties’ section has been amended accordingly.
The names of these varieties cannot appear on the labelling of wines bearing the designation. This clarification has been included in the ‘Further conditions – labelling’ section of the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name(s)

Côtes de Provence
2.   Type of geographical indication

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







1.


Wine




3.1.   Combined Nomenclature Code







—


22 - BEVERAGES, SPIRITS AND VINEGAR
2204 - Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines; grape must, other than that of heading 2009




4.   Description of the wine(s)

1.   Still rosé wines
BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 11 %.
After fermentation, the wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) not exceeding 4 grams per litre.
The other analytical criteria are in line with EU rules.
The wines are pale pink in colour. Depending on their origin, these highly expressive wines have a range of aromas that can be either fruity, covering white, citrus, exotic and red fruits, or floral, blended with mineral or baked notes. The aromas are underpinned by a structure that balances roundness and liveliness.
General analytical characteristics






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Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum total acidity: in milliequivalents per litre










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre): —




2.   Still red wines
BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 11 %.
At the time of packaging, their maximum malic acid content is 0,4 grams per litre.
After fermentation, the red wines have a fermentable sugar content not exceeding:






—


Red wines with a natural alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 14 %: 3 grams per litre;










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Red wines with a natural alcoholic strength by volume greater than 14 %: 4 grams per litre.




The other analytical criteria are in line with EU rules.
The red wines are dark in colour and include two types:






—


fruity red wines, produced by short vatting, to be consumed within a short time;










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red wines intended for keeping, with complex aromas of black fruit, cocoa, venison and spices, with powerful, silky tannins as a result of long vatting.




General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum total acidity: in milliequivalents per litre










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre): —




3.   Still white wines
BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 11 %.
The other analytical criteria are in line with EU rules.
After fermentation, the wines have a fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) not exceeding 4 grams per litre.
The white wines are dry, yellow in colour with green tints, bright and clear. The aromas are citrus, floral (white flowers), balsamic or honey.
General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum total acidity: in milliequivalents per litre










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre): —




5.   Winemaking practices

5.1.   Specific oenological practices

1.   Specific oenological practice
Specific oenological practice
In the production of rosé wines, use of oenological charcoal is permitted for press musts and new press wines still in fermentation within a limit of 20 % of the total volume of rosé wines produced by an individual winemaker for each harvest. Any heat treatment of the grape harvest where the temperature rises above 40 °C is prohibited.
2.   Spacing between rows
Cultivation method
The area available for each plant does not exceed 2,50 square metres. This surface area is calculated by multiplying the spacing between rows by the spacing between plants. The distance between the rows must not be more than 2,50 metres and the distance between plants in the same row must be at least 0,80 metres.
3.   Pruning
Cultivation method
At the latest, pruning takes place before phenological stage E, i.e. three leaves unfolded on the first two buds.
Spur pruning (gobelet or Royat cordon) with a maximum of six spurs per plant and two buds per spur.
For vines over 25 years old (26th foliation), a single spur may have a maximum of 5 five buds, with a maximum of 12 buds per plant.
The vine varieties Cabernet-Sauvignon N and Syrah N can be subject to cane pruning using the simple Guyot method, with a maximum of eight buds per plant and no more than six on the cane. This provision does not apply to vines intended to produce wines with the following geographical designations: ‘Sainte-Victoire’, ‘Fréjus’, ‘La Londe’ and ‘Pierrefeu’.
4.   Irrigation
Cultivation method
Irrigation is permitted.
5.   Weed control - Agri-ecological provisions
Cultivation method






—


Chemical weed control is prohibited on headlands.










—


Full chemical weed control on parcels is prohibited.




5.2.   Maximum yields

66 hectolitres per hectare
6.   Demarcated geographical area

The geographical area covers 84 municipalities. Of these, 68 are in the department of Var; 15 in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône; and one in the department of Alpes-Maritimes.






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In the department of Alpes-Maritimes: Villars-sur-Var;










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In the department of Bouches-du-Rhône: Allauch, Bouc-Bel-Air, Ceyreste, Châteauneuf-le-Rouge, La Ciotat, Cuges-les-Pins, Meyreuil, Mimet, Peynier, Puyloubier, Roquefort-la-Bédoule, Rousset, Simiane-Collongue, Le Tholonet, Trets;










—


In the department of Var: Les Arcs, Bagnols-en-Forêt, Le Beausset, Besse-sur-Issole, Bormes-les-Mimosas, Cabasse, La Cadière-d’Azur, Callas, Le Cannet-des-Maures, Carcès, Carnoules, Carqueiranne, Le Castellet, Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Cogolin, Collobrières, Correns, Cotignac, La Crau, La Croix-Valmer, Cuers, Draguignan, Entrecasteaux, Evenos, La Farlède, Figanières, Flassans-sur-Issole, Flayosc, Fréjus, La Garde, La Garde-Freinet, Gassin, Gonfaron, Grimaud, Hyères, La Londe-les-Maures, Lorgues, Le Luc, Les Mayons, Montfort-sur-Argens, La Môle, La Motte, Le Muy, Pierrefeu-du-Var, Pignans, Plan-de-la-Tour, Pourcieux, Pourrières, Le Pradet, Puget-sur-Argens, Puget-Ville, Ramatuelle, Roquebrune-sur-Argens, Saint-Antonin-du-Var, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, Sainte-Maxime, Saint-Paul-en-Forêt, Saint-Raphaël, Saint-Tropez, Sanary-sur-Mer, Seillans, Six-Fours-les-Plages, Solliès-Pont, Taradeau, Le Thoronet, Trans-en-Provence, La Valette-du-Var and Vidauban.




7.   Wine grape variety(ies)

Agiorgitiko N
Barbaroux Rs
Cabernet Sauvignon N
Calabrese N
Caladoc N
Calitor N
Carignan N
Cinsaut N - Cinsault
Clairette B
Floreal B
Grenache N
Moschofilero Rs
Mourvèdre N - Monastrell
Rousseli Rs
Sauvignac
Semillon B
Souvignier Gris Rs
Syrah N - Shiraz
Tibouren N
Ugni Blanc B
Verdejo B
Vermentino B - Rolle
Xinomavro N
8.   Description of the link(s)

The geographical area of the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Côtes de Provence’ lies across the limestone area of lower Provence to the west and north, and across the crystalline area of lower Provence to the south and east (Maures and Esterel). It extends along the beaches of the Mediterranean, winding through the valleys, stretching across sun-baked rocks to the lines of pine groves, over a number of municipalities in the departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône and Alpes-Maritimes.
The advantage enjoyed by the ‘Côtes de Provence’ vineyards lies in the diversity of their geology and soils, along with the diversity of their mesoclimates. This diversity meant that local producers needed to adopt tools to enable them to achieve the greatest originality. They did this through selecting the varieties, the players on this natural chequer-board, and through adapting working methods such as tilling, density and pruning to make the vines productive while protecting them from the summer drought. Producers also adapted their production conditions in the last century with significant material and technical investments.
The wines produced from these diverse varieties, and from equally diverse settings, certainly have their own variations. Nevertheless, their identity and originality is expressed in the shared practices and know-how of local producers, especially in the production of rosé wines.
A landscape of human mobility, the geographical area has become a landscape of blending of grape varieties adapted down the ages, conferring quality and identity on the wines. For example, the varieties Grenache N and Tibouren N bring a richness of alcohol and roundness. Cinsaut N provides finish and elegance, Syrah N fruity aromas, and Mourvèdre N makes the wines well suited to ageing.
The optimal ripening conditions, which are linked to the distribution of rainfall and temperatures, and the effects of the prevailing winds on the concentration and health of the raw material, also contribute to the quality and originality of the wines produced. The balance between acidity and roundness, the colour stability and the elegant aromatic expression of the wines are the result of grapes grown and harvested with generous levels of sugar and polyphenols.
In accordance with custom, the parcels, which are clearly demarcated for the harvesting of the grapes, are founded on shallow soils with good irrigation and drainage.
With 2 600 years of wine-making tradition, since 1980 the ‘Côtes de Provence’ region has undergone a real renaissance, especially with its production of rosé wines.
In times past, ‘Good King René’, or René of Anjou, Count of Provence, loved the wines of Provence. By making Marseille a free port, he encouraged wine production and trade. He also introduced the procedure for making ‘vin clairet’ (pale wine) and rosé wine. Thanks to the efforts of high-ranking ambassador Eleanor of Provence, who was to become Queen of England, these wines even took their place at the court in London. In the 17th and 18th centuries, they were highly prized in the French court, where their reputation was enhanced by the writings of Madame de Sévigné, Countess of Grignan.
This reputation still endured in 2010. The wine-growers, co-operatives and traders continue in their efforts to improve the collective rules to promote the protected designation of origin ‘Côtes de Provence’, their shared heritage, working to make the name and the character respected.
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 production of wines, comprises the territory of the following 10 municipalities of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and 41 municipalities of the department of Var.






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In the department of Bouches-du-Rhône: Aubagne, Auriol, La Bouilladisse, Cassis, La Destrousse, Fuveau, Gardanne, Gémenos, Peypin and Roquevaire.










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In the department of Var: Bandol, Barjols, Belgentier, Bras, Brignoles, Brue-Auriac, Camps-la-Source, La Celle, Châteauvert, Fayence, Forcalqueiret, Garéoult, Le Lavandou, Mazaugues, Méounes-lès-Montrieux, Nans-les-Pins, Néoules, Ollières, Ollioules, Plan-d’Aups-Sainte-Baume, Pontevès, Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, Le Revest-les-Eaux, Riboux, Rocbaron, La Roquebrussanne, Rougiers, Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, Saint-Maximim-la-Sainte-Baume, Saint-Zacharie, Sainte-Anastasie-sur-Issole, Sillans-la-Cascade, Seillons-Source-d’Argens, La Seyne-sur-Mer, Signes, Solliès-Ville, Toulon, Tourves, Le Val, Villecroze and Vins-sur-Caramy.





Labelling: Supplementary geographical designations

Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the condition:
The protected designation of origin ‘Côtes de Provence’ can be supplemented by the supplementary geographical designations ‘Fréjus’, ‘Sainte-Victoire’, ‘Pierrefeu’ and ‘Notre-Dame des Anges’ for the red and rosé wines.
The protected designation of origin ‘Côtes de Provence’ can be supplemented by the supplementary geographical designation ‘La Londe’ for the red, rosé and white wines.
The wines must comply with the conditions laid down in the specification regarding the following: geographical area of origin of the grapes; wine-making and, occasionally, ageing; vine varieties; yields; fermentable sugar content; and methods of production.

Labelling: Broader geographical unit

Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the condition:
Wines eligible for the protected designation of origin, regardless of whether they are supplemented by a geographical designation, may mention the broader geographical unit ‘Vin de Provence’ on their labelling. The size of the letters for this broader geographical unit must not be larger, either in height or width, than the size of the letters forming the name of the protected designation of origin, regardless of whether it is supplemented by a geographical designation. The broader geographical unit ‘Vin de Provence’ must appear in the same field of vision as the name of the protected designation of origin and the geographical designation.

Labelling: Names of varieties

Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the condition:
The following secondary varieties cannot be mentioned on the labelling of wines bearing the designation: Agiorgitiko N, Calabrese N, Moschofilero Rs, Verdejo B, Xinomavro N, Floreal B, Souvignier Gris B and Sauvignac B.

Link to the product specification


https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-6be16072-5bff-4b20-8463-9ba01911b0fe



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6289/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)