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: 2025-03-10
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: Castile-La Mancha, Region of Murcia, Spain, consumer information, designation of origin, fortified wine, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, red wine, rosé wine, white wine








C_202501605EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/1605


10.3.2025






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/2025/1605)

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


                     ‘Jumilla’
                  


PDO-ES-A0109-AM07


Date of communication: 31 October 2024
                  


DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1.   INCLUSION OF A NEW TYPE OF WHITE WINE
Description

                  ‘Jumilla Monastrell’ has been included as a white wine, with the same analytical parameters as the other white wines.
This amendment affects point 2.a of the product specification and point 4 of the single document.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
Another amendment adds the option of producing white wines from red grapes (blanc de noirs). It is therefore necessary to make provision for the white wines made from the grape variety Monastrell, which, logically, can be called ‘Jumilla Monastrell’.
2.   SOME LIMITS LOWERED FOR ACTUAL ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH
Description
The minimum actual alcoholic strength by volume has changed, as follows:






—


in the ‘Jumilla Monastrell’ red wines, lowered from 12,5 % to 12 %, and in the rosé wines from 12 % to 11 %;










—


in the ‘Jumilla’ rosé wines, lowered from 11,5 % to 11 %, and in the white wines from 11 % to 10 %;










—


in the ‘Jumilla Dulce’ white wines, lowered from 11 % to 10 %.




This amendment affects point 2.a of the product specification and point 4 of the single document.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
The trend among consumers is towards wines with a lower alcoholic strength. The minimum permitted strength has therefore been adjusted to satisfy market demand.
3.   VOLATILE ACIDITY LIMIT REMOVED
Description
Specific volatile acidity limits for each type of wine have been removed. Instead, it has been stated that the limit will now be in line with the provisions of EU wine-related legislation in force. In other words, in general terms, there is a change from 13.3 to 18 or 20 meq/l as laid down in EU legislation.
This amendment affects point 2.a of the product specification and point 4 of the single document.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
It was decided not to make this parameter stricter than the provisions laid down in Annex I, Part C, to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 on oenological practices, as these general limits in EU law still guarantee the required quality in the wine.
4.   NEW WORDING OF ORGANOLEPTIC DESCRIPTIONS
Description
The organoleptic description has been updated and presented in the form of a table for greater clarity.
This amendment affects point 2.b of the product specification and point 4 of the single document.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
The tasting panel considered it appropriate to update the sensory description of the wines with the Jumilla PDO. The aim is to adapt to the reality of production methods, not reducing the required quality but rather adjusting to current trends in the sector.
5.   REMOVAL OF MINIMUM (SUGAR) LEVEL FOR THE GRAPES
Description
The requirement for grapes to have a minimum level [of sugar expressed in degrees Baumé] has been removed.
This amendment affects point 3.b of the product specification and point 5.1 of the single document.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
The specific organoleptic and analytical characteristics of the wines are already guaranteed by the limits and descriptions set out in point 2 of the product specification. It is therefore unnecessary to lay down rules for this separate parameter in the grapes.
6.   NEW RESTRICTIONS ON VINIFICATION
Description
Restrictions have been introduced related to vinification, setting the percentage of the different grape varieties used according to the type of wine. Specifically, blanc de noirs wines have been included, made entirely and exclusively from the authorised red varieties.
Point 3 of the product specification and point 5.1 of the single document have been amended.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
The purpose is to clarify the conditions for producing white, rosé and red wines from the grape varieties authorised in the product specification.
7.   DETAILS UPDATED
Description
In section (b) of the link, the sentence ‘Over 85 % of vineyards with the “Jumilla” PDO are used for growing grapes of the variety Monastrell’ has been amended. The figure ‘85 %’ has now been replaced by ‘70 %’.
This amendment concerns Section 7.b of the product specification. The single document is not affected.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
The amendment to the specification provides an opportunity to update the information concerning the area occupied by Monastrell vines as a proportion of the total vineyard area of the Jumilla PDO.
8.   NEW LABELLING TERMS
Description
Rules have been added regarding labelling terms: ‘Pie franco’ [ungrafted vines] and ‘Viña vieja’ [old vines].
This amendment concerns point 8.b.v of the product specification and point 9 of the single document.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
The purpose is to use these terms to protect the unique heritage of the Jumilla PDO, and to avoid unfair competition between wineries and confusion among consumers.
Old vines, meaning more than 30 years old, represent over 20 % of the total vineyard surface area for the Jumilla PDO. The majority, 90 %, of the old vines are Monastrell. Most of these old vines, at least 1 000 hectares, are believed to be ungrafted. Among the ungrafted vines, 89 % are Monastrell, 6 % Airén and 3 % Garnacha Tintorera.
This heritage confers a wealth of genetic biodiversity, very useful in the context of climate change, as well as typicity and excellent quality on the wines made from these vines. Unfortunately, it is at serious risk of disappearing.
In 2019, there were 23 180 hectares covered by the Jumilla PDO. In the last 5 years, 5 465,83 of them were grubbed up, i.e. 23,5 %. Of the vines grubbed up, approximately 75 % were unirrigated, gobelet-trained vines; 70 % were Monastrell, gobelet-trained and unirrigated; and 40-50 % were Monastrell, gobelet-trained, unirrigated old vines (over 30 years old). In the municipality of Jumilla, it was 50 %.
9.   IMPROVED CHECKS
Description
There were already documentary checks on the obligatory annual harvest declarations for all winegrowers, and on the consignments of grapes received in the producer wineries, in order to establish grape production volumes on each parcel. These checks have now been extended to subparcels or plots, in accordance with the database of the Regulatory Board.
This amendment concerns Section 9.b of the product specification. The single document is not affected.
It is a standard amendment because it does not entail any of the changes set out in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council on geographical indications.
Reason
This is an improvement to the checks on compliance with the maximum grape yields.
SINGLE DOCUMENT
1.   Name(s)

Jumilla
2.   Geographical indication type

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







1.


Wine










3.


Liqueur 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 wines (Jumilla Monastrell, Jumilla and Jumilla Dulce)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Appearance: ranging from steely to topaz. Bright. Aroma: white fruit (red fruit in the case of blanc de noirs wines). The sweet wines may have dried fruit notes. In the mouth: balance of acidity and sweetness. In the sweet wines, sweetness predominates over acidity.






*


Analytical requirements not included in the table are in accordance with EU wine legislation in force.




General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): 10










—


Minimum total acidity: 4 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


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




2.   Rosé wines (Jumilla and Jumilla Monastrell)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Appearance: colour ranging from raspberry-pink to onion skin. Bright. Aroma: red fruit. The sweet wines may have dried fruit notes. In the mouth: balanced acidity. In the sweet wines, sweetness predominates over acidity.






*


Analytical requirements not included in the table are in accordance with EU wine legislation in force.




General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): 11










—


Minimum total acidity: 4 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


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




3.   Rosé wines (Jumilla Dulce)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Appearance: colour ranging from raspberry-pink to onion skin. Bright. Aroma: red fruit. The sweet wines may have dried fruit notes. In the mouth: balanced acidity. In the sweet wines, sweetness predominates over acidity.






*


Analytical requirements not included in the table are in accordance with EU wine legislation in force.




General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): 11,5










—


Minimum total acidity: 4 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


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




4.   Red wines (Jumilla Monastrell, Jumilla and Jumilla Dulce)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Appearance: colour ranging from violet-blue to brick-red, sweet wines may develop an ochre shade. Bright. Aroma: red fruit. Black fruit. The sweet wines have dried fruit notes. In the mouth: balanced acidity. Tannic. In the sweet wines, sweetness predominates over acidity.






*


Analytical requirements not included in the table are in accordance with EU wine legislation in force.




General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): 12










—


Minimum total acidity: 4 grams per litre expressed as tartaric acid










—


Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre): —










—


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




5.   Liqueur wines (Tinto Monastrell)

BRIEF WRITTEN DESCRIPTION
Appearance: colour ranging from violet-blue to ochre. Bright. Aroma: black fruit. Dried fruit. In the mouth: sweetness predominates over acidity. Tannic.






*


Analytical requirements not included in the table are in accordance with EU wine legislation in force.




General analytical characteristics






—


Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume): —










—


Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume): 15










—


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
Vineyards covered by the ‘Jumilla’ protected designation of origin can be subject to extensive cultivation or intensive cultivation methods.






—


Extensive cultivation: for vineyards in which, for reasons of terrain, altitude, rainfall and other environmental factors, planting density complies with the following agricultural parameters: maximum 1 900 plants per hectare and minimum 1 100 plants per hectare.










—


Intensive cultivation: for vineyards which, again according to environmental conditions, comply with the following agricultural parameters: planting density between 3 350 and 1 500 plants per hectare.




2.   Specific oenological practice
In pressing, the must and wine are subject to pressures giving a maximum yield that, following transformation, cannot exceed 74 litres of finished wine per 100 kilograms of grapes.
For the purpose of calculating the ageing processes, the first day of October of each year is taken as the start.
3.   Relevant restriction on making the wines
For wines covered by the Jumilla PDO of the types Jumilla and Jumilla Monastrell, there must be compliance with the following proportions of authorised grape varieties, according to wine type:






—


Red wines: at least 95 % of the grapes used in each wine must be grapes of the varieties Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera, Cencibel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.










—


Rosé wines: at least 50 % of the grapes used in each wine must be grapes of the varieties Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera, Cencibel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.










—


White wines: can be made in two ways:






—


at least 85 % of the grapes used in each wine must be grapes of the varieties Airén, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, Malvasía, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscatel de grano menudo, Verdejo, Merseguera and Viognier;










—


as blanc de noirs wines, made entirely and exclusively from the authorised red varieties. The labelling of such wines must include the term ‘Blanc de noirs’ or equivalent.








5.2.   Maximum yields









1.


Widely cultivated red varieties

                     5 000 kilograms of grapes per hectare
37 hectolitres per hectare












2.


Widely cultivated white varieties

                     5 625 kilograms of grapes per hectare
41,62 hectolitres per hectare












3.


Intensive cultivation

                     8 750 kilograms of grapes per hectare
64,75 hectolitres per hectare




6.   Demarcated geographical area

The production area for wines covered by the protected designation of origin ‘Jumilla’ comprises land situated within the municipalities of Jumilla, in the province of Murcia, and Fuentealamo, Albatana, Ontur, Hellín, Tobarra and Montealegre del Castillo in the province of Albacete.
7.   Wine grape variety(ies)

AIREN
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CHARDONNAY
GARNACHA TINTA
GARNACHA TINTORERA
MACABEO - VIURA
MALVASIA AROMÁTICA - MALVASÍA SITGES
MERLOT
MERSEGUERA
MONASTRELL
MOSCATEL DE GRANO MENUDO
PEDRO XIMENEZ
PETIT VERDOT
SAUVIGNON BLANC
SYRAH
TEMPRANILLO - CENCIBEL
VERDEJO
VIOGNIER
8.   Description of the link(s)

8.1.   Wine

The most important grape is Monastrell, a very hardy variety that is perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the area, with its drought, very hot summers and spring frosts. It produces full bodied, fleshy wines, rich in alcohol and acidity with highly characteristic aromas of ripe fruit and a well-integrated astringency.
The other authorised varieties perfectly complement Monastrell, stabilising the colour and adding acidity and ageing capacity, as well as harmonising the aromas perfectly.
8.2.   Liqueur wines

These wines are made from Monastrell, a variety which gives them colour intensity ranging from medium to very high, potentially almost opaque, as a result of the high temperatures characteristic of the area.
9.   Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)


Labelling

Legal framework:
In national legislation
Type of further condition:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the condition:
The name of the protected designation of origin must appear prominently on the labels, in a font that must be a minimum of 3 millimetres and a maximum of 20 millimetres in height. This maximum height must also be smaller than the size of the trade mark.
The name must appear next to the words ‘Denominación de Origen Protegida’ [protected designation of origin] or ‘Denominación de Origen’ [designation of origin], which must be in a font of a minimum of 2 millimetres in height, but which must always be smaller than the accompanying name of the PDO.
The terms ‘Pie franco’ and ‘Viña vieja’ are subject to rules ensuring that they can only be used for wines complying with the following requirements:

                  ‘PIE FRANCO’: at least 85 % of the grapes used to make the wines come from ungrafted vines.
The Regulatory Board will draw up an inventory of these vines based on applications from winegrowers and/or wineries. The Board’s experts will conduct the necessary field checks. The applications and field checks will be annual, within a time limit set by the Regulatory Board.

                  ‘VIÑA VIEJA’: at least 85 % of the grapes used to make the wines come from vineyards that are at least 30 years old, for which there must be documentary proof from vineyard registers.
The inspection body can carry out the necessary checks during audits on wineries or where considered necessary.
It is forbidden to use any wording, expressions or terms in the labelling, presentation or publicity which could give the impression that wine comes from ungrafted or old vines when in fact it does not comply with the requirements laid down for the use of these terms.
Other references will be those laid down in the general legislation on wine labelling, and in the specific rules and regulations on labelling established by the Regulatory Board and currently in force.
Packaging must include quality seals, secondary labels or numbered labels issued by the Regulatory Board. These must be affixed by the winery and be visible on the packaging in a way that prevents their re-use.

Transporting wines

Legal framework:
For an organisation that manages PDOs/PGIs, when thus provided for by Member States.
Type of further condition:
Packaging within the demarcated geographical area
Description of the condition:
The protected wine must be packaged exclusively in facilities located within the production area of PDO Jumilla.
In order to ensure appropriate use of the PDO, all protected wines must be dispatched in the packaging.
Production of the wines with the designation of origin does not end with the process of transforming must into wine through alcoholic fermentation and other, supplementary processes, but rather with packaging. This must be considered the final stage in the production of these wines, since it involves other wine-making practices that could affect the special characteristics, namely: filtering, stabilisation and various types of corrective measures. Furthermore, in many cases, a period of bottle ageing is necessary in order to round out the finished wine. In addition, it is clear that transport over long distances or for prolonged periods increases the risk of alterations to the product, such as oxidation or temperature changes, which adversely affect the quality. Therefore, in order to preserve the quality of the wine, it is necessary to bottle it within the demarcated area of the PDO.
The control body is appointed by the competent Spanish authority and accredited by the National Accreditation Body under ISO 17065 on product certification. In the case of bulk volumes dispatched to operators outside the demarcated area, the control body can only guarantee origin and compliance with the Jumilla PDO up to the point of dispatch. However, for reasons of logistics and cost, the control body cannot operate in destination countries where, in practice, the national competent authorities do not carry out controls either. Some 75 % of consignments in bulk go to third countries. Consequently, the control body does not know how these wines are placed on the market. What it does know is that the bottles do not display the secondary label or numbered seal as required since there are no requests for these from the bottling operations. This means that there should not be bottling operations involving the Jumilla PDO outside of the demarcated area. Therefore, in order to guarantee the origin and to safeguard control, it is necessary for all the wine to be bottled within the demarcated area.

Link to the product specification


https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-diferenciada/dop-igp/htm/DOP_Jumilla.aspx



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


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1605/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)