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
Date: 2025-01-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, rosé wine, sparkling wine, white wine








C_202500441EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/441


21.1.2025






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
(C/2025/441)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 of 17 October 2018
          (1).
COMMUNICATING THE APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT


                     ‘Clairette de Die’
                  


PDO-FR-A0301-AM02


Date of communication: 21 October 2024
                  


DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1.   Deletion of the provisions concerning the production of rosé wine

Following the decision of the Council of State, the supreme national authority, by judgment of 2018, annulling the recognition of rosé wine, the provisions relating to the production of Clairette de Die Rosé have been removed from the specification.
The following points of the product specification have been amended:






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Chapter I, Section III – Colour and types of products;










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Chapter I, Section V – Grape varieties;










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Chapter I, Section IX – Winemaking, processing, maturation, packaging, storage – – Blend of grape varieties;










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Chapter I, Section X – Link with the geographical area.




Those provisions on rosé wines have been removed from the following points of the single document:






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Description of the wine(s);










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Wine grape varieties (deletion of Gamay N);










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Specific oenological practices (deletion of the proportions of grape varieties in rosé wines);










—


Link with the geographical area.




2.   Labelling

In Section XII ‘Rules on presentation and labelling’ of Chapter I of the product specification, point 2 ‘Special provisions’ has been supplemented to include the labelling rules for referring to the broader geographical unit ‘Vignobles de la Vallée du Rhône’, as set out in the agreement signed between the protection and management bodies concerned. This information must appear in the same visual field as all the mandatory details, be printed in characters of the same graphic design and colour as those of the designation, and be no bigger than two thirds of the size of the designation.
This amendment has been added to the single document, under the heading ‘Further conditions’.
3.   Geographical area

In Section IV ‘Areas and places in which the various operations are conducted’ of Chapter I of the product specification, point 1 ‘Geographical area’ has been supplemented to update and correct the names of the municipalities, without amending the geographical area.
The municipalities of Aix-en-Diois and Molière-Glandaz have been deleted and the municipality of Solaure en Diois has been added.
This correction to the names of the municipalities has been added to the single document, under the heading ‘Demarcated geographical area’.
4.   Details of the inspection body

Section II ‘Details of the inspection body’ of Chapter III of the product specification has been updated to specify that checks on compliance with the product specification must be carried out on the basis of an approved inspection plan and by a third-party body offering guarantees of competence, impartiality and independence delegated by the INAO, the inspection authority.
This update does not affect the single document.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name(s)

Clairette de Die
2.   Geographical indication type

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







5.


Quality sparkling wine










6.


Quality aromatic sparkling 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.   White ‘Clairette de Die’ PDO with no additional indications

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The ‘Clairette de Die’ PDO is used exclusively for white quality sparkling and quality aromatic sparkling wines. These wines are quality sparkling white wines produced by second fermentation in the bottle.






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After the addition of the dosage, the wines have a sugar content, expressed as fermentable sugars, of no more than 15 grams per litre.










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Their natural alcoholic strength by volume is at least 9 %.










—


The other analytical criteria must comply with the values established in EU legislation.




These wines, produced by second fermentation in glass bottles, are made solely from the Clairette B variety and account for 7 % of production in the Diois region. After 9 months, the bottles are disgorged and a dosage is added. This product owes its originality less to the wine-making technique used, which is common to many sparkling wines, than to its composition based exclusively on the Clairette B variety. This variety is typical of Provence and, here, it is at the far edge of the area in which the climate is suitable for it to ripen. As a result, it brings acidity and finesse of aromas.
General analytical characteristics






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Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): 13,5










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Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum total acidity: in milliequivalents per litre










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Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


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




2.   White ‘Clairette de Die’ PDO supplemented by the wording ‘méthode ancestrale’
                           

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
The protected designation of origin ‘Clairette de Die’ supplemented by the term ‘méthode ancestrale’ [ancestral method] is reserved for white quality aromatic sparkling wines produced by means of single fermentation.
Their natural alcoholic strength by volume is at least 9 %. These wines have an excess pressure of carbon dioxide of at least 3 atmospheres at 20 °C and a sugar content, expressed as fermentable sugars, of at least 35 grams per litre.
The other analytical criteria must comply with the values established in EU legislation.
Wines bearing the ‘méthode ancestrale’ indication are the true standard bearers of the area under vines, accounting for more than 88 % of production in the Diois. This white wine made from the varieties Muscat à petits grains B or Muscat à petits grains Rg (representing at least 75 % of the blend), supplemented by Clairette B / Clairette Rs, is made by an original process consisting of slowing down and then stopping the alcoholic fermentation using cooling, while retaining a significant quantity of fermentable sugars. The partially fermented must is then bottled, continuing its fermentation for at least 4 months. This unique product is resolutely modern due to its highly aromatic character, with dominant primary aromas but also more complex aromas, such as fragrances of citrus, honey, flowers and lychees. These white wines generally have a pale yellow colour with green tints. They are also characterised by very fine, moderately long-lasting bubbles.
General analytical characteristics






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Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): 12,5










—


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.   Wine-making practices

5.1.   Specific oenological practices

1.   Cultivation method
Cultivation method






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The area available for each plant does not exceed 2,20 square metres. This surface area is calculated by multiplying the spacing between rows by the spacing between plants. The spacing between rows must not exceed 2,5 metres. The spacing between plants in the same row must be at least 0,80 metre and must not exceed 1,50 metres.










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The vines are either Guyot trained or spur pruned (cordon de Royat training), with a maximum of 12 buds per plant.










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Irrigation may be authorised.










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For white wines eligible to use the ‘méthode ancestrale’ indication, the proportion of the Muscat à petits grains B variety must be at least 75 % of the blend.




2.   Wines produced by second fermentation in the bottle
Specific oenological practice
The wines are made solely from the Clairette B variety.
Wines that are not eligible to use the ‘méthode ancestrale’ indication are produced using second fermentation in glass bottles from a completely fermented wine to which a tirage liqueur is added.
The secondary fermentation in glass bottles, which produces the bubbles, takes place as of 1 January of the year following that of the harvest.
The wine must be kept on the lees in bottles for at least 9 months.
3.   Wines bearing the ‘méthode ancestrale’ indication
Specific oenological practice
Wines that are eligible to use the ‘méthode ancestrale’ indication are produced as follows:
White wines:






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Main variety: Muscat à petits grains B;










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Other varieties: Muscat à petits grains Rg, Clairette B, Clairette Rs;




Rosé wines:






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Main varieties: Muscat à petits grains B, Muscat à petits grains Rg;










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Other varieties: Clairette B, Clairette Rs, Gamay N.




Composition of the blends:






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For white wines, the proportion of the Muscat à petits grains B variety must be at least 75 %.










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For rosé wines:










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the proportion of Muscat à petits grains B and Muscat à petits grains Rg combined must be at least 75 %;










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the proportion of Muscat à petits grains Rg and Gamay N combined must be at least 5 %; and










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the proportion of Gamay N must be no more than 10 %.




The wines are produced by means of single fermentation, which begins in the tank. It is controlled through cooling and elimination of part of the yeast population. The addition of tirage liqueur is prohibited. Secondary fermentation owing to the partially fermented must may only take place in glass bottles. In the case of rosé wines, the partially fermented musts and/or wines are blended before bottling.
They must be kept on lees in bottles for at least 4 months. The fermentation comes to a natural end in the bottle. Use of a dosage is prohibited.
4.   All wine types
Specific oenological practice
For all types of wine, the sediment may be removed:






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by disgorging;










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through isobaric filtration, i.e. ‘from bottle to bottle’; or










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by decanting into a single receptacle and isobaric filtration. The wines are kept in the single receptacle at a temperature of not more than 4 °C. The receptacle is fitted with a temperature control device.




All wine-making practices followed must comply with the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.
5.2.   Maximum yields









1.


 
70 hectolitres per hectare




6.   Demarcated geographical area

The grapes are harvested and the wines made, processed, matured and packaged in the territory of the following 31 municipalities in the department of Drôme:
Aouste-sur-Sye, Aubenasson, Aurel, Barsac, Barnave, Beaufort-sur-Gervanne, Châtillon-en-Diois, Die, Espenel, Laval-d’Aix, Luc-en-Diois, Menglon, Mirabel-et-Blacons, Montclar-sur-Gervanne, Montlaur-en-Diois, Montmaur-en-Diois, Piegros-la-Clastre, Ponet-et-Saint-Auban, Pontaix, Poyols, Recoubeau-Jansac, Saillans, Saint-Benoît-en-Diois, Saint-Roman, Saint-Sauveur-en-Diois, Sainte-Croix, Suze, Solaure en Diois, Vercheny and Véronne.
7.   Wine grape varieties

Clairette B
Clairette Rose Rs
8.   Description of the link(s)

The geographical area of the ‘Clairette de Die’ PDO is located to the south-east of Valence, in the northern part of the southern Alpine foothills. The climate is characterised by Mediterranean influences, mitigated by the nearby mountains. The vineyards are located on the slopes overlooking the Drôme valley on both sides of the river running through it.
The ‘Clairette de Die’ PDO is based on two products with recognised production rules and characteristics; white wines produced by second fermentation in the bottle, made solely from the Clairette B variety, and white or rosé wines bearing the term ‘méthode ancestrale’, produced by means of single fermentation in the bottle from the Muscat à petits grains B, Muscat à petits grains Rg, Clairette B, Clairette Rs and Gamay N varieties.
Human expertise has adapted these varieties, achieving optimal application on marly or limestone soils, on the serres [local term for slopes] and hillsides with their excellent exposure and drainage. The ‘black earth’ soils of marly schist and calcareous schist are the preferred terrain of the Muscat à petits grains variety, which gives the wines richness, structure and aromatic strength. By contrast, the stonier soils on the Quaternary terraces, the alluvial fans and the scree beneath the limestone ridges are more usually reserved for the Clairette variety. The latter variety is typical of Provence and, here, it is at the far edge of the area in which the climate is suitable for it to ripen. As a result, it brings acidity and finesse of aromas, which are vital for sparkling and still wines.
Winegrowers in the Diois have used these varieties to develop a unique technique of winemaking in the cellars, where the coolness resulting from the proximity to the mountains slows down alcoholic fermentation in a natural but unpredictable way, giving a sparkling wine with residual fermentable sugars and low alcoholic strength bearing the ‘méthode ancestrale’ indication. Down the generations, producers have developed the know-how for perfecting this technique of stopping fermentation. These white or rosé wines have dominant primary aromas but also more complex aromas, such as fragrances of citrus, honey, flowers and lychees, complemented by notes of red fruit in the rosé wines. The colour is usually pale yellow with green tints for white wines or light pink for rosé wines. They are also characterised by very fine, moderately long-lasting bubbles.
For white wines produced by second fermentation in the bottle, the bottles are disgorged after 9 months and a dosage added. This product owes its originality to the Clairette B variety, which gives it acidity and finesse of aromas.
Despite the existence of the vineyards and a product with a reputation dating back to antiquity, for a long time wine from Die was little known, partly because of poor communication routes and partly because of the product’s fragility due to its partially fermented and unstable state, making it difficult to transport. In 1825, a trader of the house Joubert et Bernard, established in Die, expanded his father’s business (tanning hides) by selling wines from his own property along with wines bought from winegrowers. The distribution of the wines began in the surrounding areas and was later organised to supply the municipalities of the Diois area. The business prospered and the wine produced was dispatched, in lots of 110 litres, to Nîmes, Grenoble, Avignon and Privas. However, the journey was long and the wine often arrived spoiled, if it arrived at all. It was necessary to wait for the arrival of the railway linking Die to the main Paris-Marseille line in 1885. That was when these distinctive wines became nationally renowned. Having said that, the official catalogue of the Vienna World’s Fair mentions Clairette, from the Muscat Blanc and Muscat Rosé sparkling varieties from Barsac (in Drôme), in 1873. The fragility of this product explains, among other things, local consumption habits and the fact that the distribution area was originally limited in size. Advances in oenology have allowed the process to be controlled and mean that bottling can finally be planned and predictable. Recognised in April 1910, Clairette de Die was one of the first ever designations of origin to be regulated. In the middle of the 20th century, the mastering of cooling and disgorging technologies made it possible to obtain a stable and high-quality wine suitable for both domestic consumption and for export.
The equipment for such technology requires significant human and financial investment, which has encouraged groupings of producers and resources through the creation of collective organisations. The term ‘Clerete’ or ‘Clairette de Die’ refers to a variety of still and sparkling wines. The beginning of the 20th century saw the disappearance of what little industry had existed, in fields such as fabrics, paper and silk. Subsequently, by 2010, wine production in Diois, with the protected designation of origin ‘Clairette de Die’ at the forefront, represented the principal economic activity in the valley.
9.   Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)

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






a)


The name of the protected designation of origin may be followed by the term ‘méthode ancestrale’ for wines meeting the production conditions laid down for that term in the product specification.










b)


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 forming the name of the protected designation of origin.










c)


The labels of wines with the protected designation of origin may specify the broader geographical unit ‘Vignobles de la Vallée du Rhône’ in accordance with the conditions specified in the agreement signed between the various protection and management bodies concerned. This information must appear in the same visual field as all the mandatory details, be printed in characters of the same graphic design and colour as those of the designation, and be no bigger than two thirds of the size of the designation.




Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further condition:
Packaging within the demarcated geographical area
Description of the condition:
The grapes are harvested and the wines made, processed, matured and packaged in the geographical area.






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Wines produced by second fermentation in the bottle are placed on the market for consumption following the minimum period of 9 months on the lees in bottles after second fermentation is initiated, and not earlier than 1 October of the year following the year of harvest.










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Wines bearing the term ‘méthode ancestrale’ are placed on the market for consumption after a period of 4 months on the lees in bottles, and not earlier than 1 March of the year following the year of harvest.





Link to the product specification


https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-e690900b-1ff8-4820-8c8b-a0abdc1acad2



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/441/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)