Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27
Date: 2025-12-22
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: France, Occitanie, consumer information, designation of origin, labelling, product designation, quality control of agricultural products, red wine, rosé wine, still wine








C_202506752EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/6752


22.12.2025






Publication of the communication of an approved standard amendment to a product specification of a geographical indication in accordance with Article 5(4) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 (1)

(C/2025/6752)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT
(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)


                     ‘Coteaux du Quercy’
                  


EU reference number: PDO-FR-A0499-AM01 – 30.9.2025
                  

1.   Name of product


               ‘Coteaux du Quercy’
            
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PDO










☐


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Sector







☐


Agricultural products










☑


Wines










☐


Spirit drinks




4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

France
5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment


Name

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Directorate-General for the Economic and Environmental Performance of Enterprises
6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The French authorities consider that the application meets the requirements of Regulations (EU) No 1308/2013 and (EU) 2024/1143.
The amendments to this product specification are standard amendments as defined in Article 24(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143.
The application for amendment to the ‘Coteaux du Quercy’ PDO does not involve any of the three situations constituting a Union amendment; specifically, it does not:






(a)


include a change in the name or in the use of the name, or in the category of product or products designated by the geographical indication;










(b)


risk voiding the link to the geographical area;










(c)


entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.




The French authorities therefore consider that the application is for a standard amendment.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)


Title

Addition of agri-environmental provisions

Description

Two agri-environmental provisions have been added to the product specification, namely a requirement to maintain grass cover on headlands and a ban on plastic mulching in the vineyards. The provision on managing naturally occurring vegetation, which was already in the product specification in force, has been amended to accommodate certain parcels, in particular old vines situated on limestone plateaux.
The aim is to enhance the sustainability of the designation in the face of climate change and high societal expectations.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to the rules on grape varieties

Description

The rules on grape varieties have been relaxed to make it easier to take over and maintain areas eligible for the PDO. Furthermore, supplementary varieties have been reclassified as secondary varieties. Consequently, the protection and management body wishes to increase the maximum percentage of main grape varieties to 80 % and the maximum percentage of secondary varieties to 40 %.
A provision has also been added which relaxes the rules on planting proportions to benefit smallholdings of less than 1,5 hectares.
These changes are designed to relax and simplify the rules on grape varieties while ensuring the profile of the wines is kept consistent with the description in the product specification.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to the blending rules for red wines

Description

The blending rules for red wines have been relaxed for the same reasons why the rules on grape varieties were amended. Blends now need to comprise a minimum of two varieties, as opposed to three previously, and the proportion of Cabernet Franc has been increased from 70 % to 85 %. The proportions under the blending rules for supplementary varieties have been removed.
These adjustments are designed to offer greater flexibility and to simply the rules while keeping the profile of the product consistent with the description in the product specification.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to the provision on pruning rules

Description

The requirement concerning the number of fruit-bearing branches during fruit set (10 if using the Guyot method, 12 if using the cordon de Royat method) has been removed, while the requirement concerning the maximum number of buds to be left after pruning, has been maintained. This amendment is designed to make the operators’ work simpler while maintaining a strict quality requirement.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to the provision on foliage height

Description

The height of the foliage when trellised, defined in the product specification, has been reduced from its initial value of 0,55 times the spacing between rows, to 0,50 times the spacing.
This amendment mainly addresses the growing issue of vineyards being affected by the force of the wind, in particular since the strengthening of the ‘Autan’ wind, and the repeated heatwaves and droughts of recent years.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Amendment to the paragraph on analytical standards

Description

The provision on the analytical standard for ash has been removed since the limit defined in the product specification (46,51 milliequivalents per litre) was very close to regulatory limit (46,60 milliequivalents per litre).
The maximum levels of sulphur dioxide defined in the product specification (125 milligrams per litre for red wines and 150 milligrams per litre for rosé wines) have been removed to align with the EU legal limits (150 milligrams per litre for red wines and 200 milligrams per litre for rosé wines).
The maximum fermentable sugar (glucose and fructose) content has been increased from 3 grams per litre under the current product specification, to 4 grams per litre in line with the relevant EU legislation on still dry wines.
These amendments are designed to simplify the product specification while keeping the profile of the product the same.






☑


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Addition of the saignée method of making rosé wines

Description

The producer group is entitled to adopt the saignée method of making rosé wines, a historic practice still in use for the PDO which the group would like to maintain. In order to protect this specific characteristic, this method has been incorporated into the section ‘Link with the geographical area’.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Adjustment of the maximum average crop load per parcel

Description

The maximum average crop load per parcel has been adjusted for irrigated parcels, in line with provisions already in force for other wine designations which allow for irrigation.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Administrative simplifications

Description

The section ‘Declaration of declassification’ has been updated, removing the requirement to send a copy of the monthly recapitulative declaration to the protection and management body when a batch is declassified. The section on the period during which wines must not circulate between authorised warehouse keepers has also been removed.
These changes address calls for administrative simplification from producers of the PDO.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

Transitional measure

Description

As the transitional measures concerning the rules on grape varieties, on planting proportions and on blending have expired, they have been removed from the specification.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.





Title

References

Description

The contact details of the National Institute of Origin and Quality (Institut national de la qualité et de l’origine: INAO) have been updated.
The arrangements for inspecting the product specification have been amended.






☐


The amendment affects the single document.




SINGLE DOCUMENT

Designations of origin and geographical indications of the wines



                     ‘Coteaux du Quercy’
                  


EU reference number: PDO-FR-A0499-AM01 – 30.9.2025
                  

1.   Name(s)


               ‘Coteaux du Quercy’
            
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PDO










☐


PGI










☐


GI




3.   Country to which the defined geographical area belongs

France
4.   Classification of the agricultural product in accordance with the Combined Nomenclature heading and code, as referred to in Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143


               2204  – Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines; grape must other than that of heading 2009
5.   Categories of grapevine product as listed in Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013







1.


Wine




6.   Description of the wine or wines


Grapevine product

Still red and rosé wines
Organoleptic characteristics:
Visual appearance:
The red wines have a deep, intense colour.
Aroma:
Complex, powerful aromas, predominantly of red fruit with plant-like or floral notes, characterise their bouquet.
Taste:
On the palate, the red and black fruit aromas combine with plant-like aromas such as bell pepper, and are accompanied by hints of menthol and a long aromatic finish. The structure from the tannins breaks through and is harmoniously balanced. These wines beautifully express the blend of the Cabernet Franc N, Merlot N, Cot N, Tannat N, and also Gamay N varieties.
Additional information regarding organoleptic characteristics:
The wines may be enjoyed young. However, depending on the vintage, they can be worth keeping up to five years.
Ageing the wines has the effect of stabilising the combination of tannins and anthocyanins, thus improving them. This gives the wines more roundness and allows them to flourish before they are marketed to consumers.
The rosé wines have a more or less vivid pink colour. On the nose and palate, they are characterised by complex aromas often revealing fruity, plant-like and even floral notes, emphasising the dominance of the Cabernet Franc N variety in the blend. They have a long aromatic finish.
Analytical characteristics:






Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume):


—




Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume):


—




Minimum total acidity:


—




Minimum total acidity unit:


—




Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre):


—




Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre):


—




Additional information regarding analytical characteristics:
The wines are still red and rosé wines.
The wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 11 %.
The total alcoholic strength by volume of the wines after enrichment does not exceed 13 %.
For the red wines, the maximum malic acid content is set at 0,3 grams per litre for batches ready to be marketed in bulk or ready to be packaged.
At the packing stage:






—


the volatile acidity content is not more than 15,30 milliequivalents per litre (0,75 grams per litre expressed as H2SO4) for the red wines and not more than 12,24 milliequivalents per litre (0,60 grams per litre expressed as H2SO4) for the rosé wines;










—


the maximum fermentable sugar (glucose and fructose) content of the wines is 4 grams per litre.










☑


Any analytical characteristics not indicated in this section are within the limits laid down in the applicable EU legislation.




7.   Winemaking practices

7.1.   Specific oenological practices used to make the wine or wines, relevant restrictions on making them

Winemaking practice:
—
Type of oenological practice:
Specific oenological practice
Description:
The total alcoholic strength by volume of the wines after enrichment does not exceed 13 %. Besides the above provisions, the oenological practices followed must comply with the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.
Winemaking practice:
Vineyard management
Type of oenological practice:
Cultivation method
Description:






(a) –


Planting density. The minimum vine planting density is 4 000 plants per hectare. The spacing between the rows is 2,50 metres or less. Between plants in the same row, spacing is between 0,90 metres and 1,10 metres.










(b) –


Pruning rules. Vines are pruned using the following techniques: – by either single or double Guyot pruning with a maximum of 12 buds per plant; – or by spur pruning (using the two-way cordon de Royat method), with a maximum of 14 buds per plant.




7.2.   Maximum yields

All wines/category/variety/type:
Still red and rosé wines
Maximum yield:






Maximum yield:


63




Maximum yield unit:


hectolitres per hectare




8.   Indication of the wine grape variety or varieties from which the wine or wines are produced







—


Cabernet Franc N










—


Cot N – Malbec










—


Gamay N










—


Merlot N










—


Tannat N




9.   Concise definition of the demarcated geographical area

1.   Geographical area

The grapes are harvested and the wines made, developed and aged in the following municipalities:






—


Department of Lot: Belfort-du-Quercy, Belmontet, Castelnau-Montratier, Cezac, Flaugnac, Labastide-Marnhac, Lascabannes, Le Montat, Montcuq, Montdoumerc, Montlauzun, Saint-Cyprien, Saint-Daunès, Saint-Pantaléon, Saint-Paul de Loubressac, Sainte-Alauzie, Valprionde;










—


Departement of Tarn-et-Garonne: Auty, Bruniquel, Caussade, Cayriech, Labarthe, Lapenche, Lavaurette, Mirabel, Molières, Montaigu-de-Quercy, Montalzat, Montfermier, Montpezat-de-Quercy, Puygaillard-de-Quercy, Puylaroque, Réalville, Saint-Georges, Saint-Vincent, Sauveterre, Vaïssac, Vazerac.




2.   Demarcated parcel area

The wines must be made from grapes grown on parcels located in the production area as approved by the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO) at the meetings of the relevant national committee on 9 and 10 September 1999 and 19 May 2011. The National Institute of Origin and Quality submits the maps establishing the limits of the parcels in the production area thus approved to the town halls of the municipalities named in paragraph 1.
10.   Link with the geographical area


Category of grapevine product







1.


Wine





Summary of the link

The winegrowers of Quercy have successfully harnessed and showcased the mixture of specific topographic conditions and the climate which is subject to a wide range of influences. The slight springtime humidity linked to the oceanic climate ensures good growth of the vines. During the summer and the autumn, the Mediterranean brings dry heat and sunshine which encourage regular, optimum ripening of the grapes, with moderate water stress in summer ensuring that the grapes ripen well. The ‘Autan’ wind has a real influence on the behaviour of the vines throughout their growing cycle, for example by hastening budding, flowering and ripening. This wind sometimes blows hard at the end of the summer, which promotes the ripening of the grapes and dries the vines after the August storms. This limits the development of cryptogamic diseases. The late onset of cold weather means that lignification takes place correctly. Reflecting established practice and the winegrowers’ knowledge of the way their vines behave to determine the right location for their vineyards, the demarcated parcel area – which is adapted to each geomorphological unit – favours soils which drain well and warm up easily and excludes cold, frost-prone areas and parcels with the most fertile soil or with soil which is too shallow. The fact that the vineyards found throughout the local area are so longstanding demonstrates how winegrowing has been continuously practised and passed down over generations. Operators have managed to bring out the original qualities of what they produce by, on the one hand, choosing vine varieties which thrive in the natural conditions and, on the other hand, by optimally managing the vines and their production potential, achieved through careful vine training and strict pruning rules which allow air to pass through the foliage and grape bunches. Winegrowers were quick to assimilate techniques that enabled them to extract the best from their grapes by adapting their wine-making techniques. Early on, a period of post-fermentation ageing in the tank was introduced, to produce wines with complex aromas, and above all to ensure that the tannins become round and smooth. To achieve this, a minimum ageing period up to 1 February of the year following the harvest year was laid down in the specification. The producers’ expertise is also reflected in the blending of wines made in different conditions. This know-how adapted to the specific conditions of the local area, which is used first and foremost for the production of red wine, has naturally also been applied to rosé wines. Mixed farming, found on each holding and of which only a small proportion is winegrowing, together with the sale of significant volumes directly or via short supply chains once the product is packaged, which enhance its value, have sustained and kept together this small, dispersed winegrowing area. All operators and winegrowers, whether independent or members of a cooperative, and indeed the entire local community, including the agricultural college, work hand in hand to maintain the standing and reputation of this ancient winegrowing area which was rebuilt after the phylloxera crisis.
11.   Further applicable requirements

Title of the requirement/derogation:
Derogation concerning the geographical area
Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further requirement/derogation:
Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area
Description of the requirement/derogation:
The area in the immediate vicinity, defined by derogation for making, developing and ageing the wines, comprises the territory of the following municipalities: – Department of Lot: Bagat-en-Quercy, Le Boulve, Cahors, Cambayrac, Carnac-Rouffiac, Cieurac, Fargues, Parnac, Saux, Saint-Laurent-Lolmie, Saint-Matré, Saint-Vincent-Rive-d’Olt, Sauzet, Trespoux-Rassiels, Villeseque; – Departement of Tarn-et-Garonne: Albias, Bioule, Cayrac, Monclar-de-Quercy, Montricoux, Negrepelisse, Saint-Cirq, Saint-Etienne de Tulmont.
In accordance with Article 5(1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, the area in immediate proximity corresponds to an area in the immediate proximity of the demarcated area in question.
Title of the requirement/derogation:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Legal framework:
National legislation
Type of further requirement/derogation:
Additional provisions relating to labelling
Description of the requirement/derogation:
Wines with the protected designation of origin may specify on their labels the broader geographical unit ‘Sud-Ouest’. The size of the letters for the broader geographical unit must not be larger, in either height or width, than the size of the letters forming the name of the protected designation of origin.

Electronic (URL) reference to publication of the product specification


https://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/boagri/document_administratif-9e871ccd-137e-412a-8cc6-2ba19ae55dd7



(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/6752/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)