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: 2026-06-02
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_202603001EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/3001


2.6.2026






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/2026/3001)

COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)


‘Bonnezeaux’


EU reference number: PDO-FR-A0926-AM04 – 16.3.2026
                  

1.   Name of product

‘Bonnezeaux’
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PDO










☐


PGI




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 the application to meet 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 ‘Bonnezeaux’ 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 the application to be for a standard amendment.
7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)


Title

Labelling

Description

The producer group for the ‘Bonnezeaux’ PDO has decided to use a larger geographical unit to designate the wines, opting for the term ‘Vin de Loire’ [‘Loire wine’] instead of ‘Val de Loire’ [‘Loire Valley’].
This development follows the communication guidelines adopted by the producers of Loire wines.
The aim is to make the identity clearer and align it more closely with the reality of the wines made by producers in the Loire basin.






 


☑ The amendment affects the single document.




SINGLE DOCUMENT

Designations of origin and geographical indications of wines


‘Bonnezeaux’


EU reference number: PDO-FR-A0926-AM04 – 16.3.2026
                  

1.   Name(s)

‘Bonnezeaux’
2.   Geographical indication type







☑


PDO










☐


PGI




3.   Country to which the demarcated 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

—

Organoleptic characteristics


Visual appearance

These are still white wines made from grapes harvested when overripe (natural concentration on the vine, with or without noble rot). They generally have a light golden colour with green tints.

Aroma

Their great sweetness, which is caused by a high fermentable sugar content, is combined with a fruitiness that is often complex (dried fruit, exotic fruit, white flowers, etc.).

Taste

The balance between acidity, alcohol and unctuousness allows the wines to acquire even more complexity over the years. These wines are appreciated because of their vigour.

Additional information regarding organoleptic characteristics

—

Analytical characteristics







Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume):


—




Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume):


—




Minimum total acidity:


—




Minimum total acidity unit:


in milliequivalents per litre




Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre):


25




Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre):


—





Additional information regarding analytical characteristics

The wines have: a minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume of 15 %; a fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose) after fermentation of at least 51 grams per litre. After fermentation, wines with a natural alcoholic strength by volume below 18 % have a minimum actual alcoholic strength by volume of 11 %. The total acid and total sulphur dioxide content are as laid down by EU legislation.






☑


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:
Enrichment is permitted under the rules set out in the specification. The use of wood chips is forbidden. The wines must be matured until at least 15 March of the year following the harvest. Besides the above provisions, the oenological practices concerning these wines must meet the requirements laid down at EU level and in the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.

Winemaking practice

Density
Type of oenological practice:
Cultivation method
Description:
The minimum vine planting density is 4 000 plants per hectare. Spacing between vine rows must not exceed 2,50 metres, and spacing between plants in the same row must be at least 0,90 metres. The protected designation of origin may be used for the harvests of vineyard parcels where the spacing between plants in the same row is below 0,90 metres but not less than 0,80 metres and where the steepness of the slope exceeds 10 %. In the case of vineyard parcels where the planting density is at least 3 300 but less than 4 000 plants per hectare, the harvests are eligible for the protected designation of origin provided that they comply with the rules on trellising and foliage height laid down in the specification. The spacing between the rows of vines must not exceed 3 metres, and the spacing between plants in the same row must be at least 1 metre.

Winemaking practice

Pruning
Type of oenological practice:
Cultivation method
Description:
The vines are pruned to a maximum of 12 buds per plant, using the cane pruning, spur pruning or mixed pruning method. At the phenological stage corresponding to 11 or 12 leaves (separate buds), the number of fruit-bearing branches for the year per plant must not exceed 10.

Winemaking practice

Harvest
Type of oenological practice:
Cultivation method
Description:
The grapes are harvested by hand in multiple passes.

Winemaking practice

Irrigation
Type of oenological practice:
Cultivation method
Description:
Irrigation is not permitted.
7.2.   Maximum yields


All wines / category / variety / type

White wines
Maximum yield:






Maximum yield:


30




Maximum yield unit:


hectolitres per hectare




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







—


Chenin B




9.   Concise definition of the demarcated geographical area

1.   Geographical area

All stages of production take place in the geographical area, which encompasses the following municipality of the department of Maine-et-Loire, on the basis of the Official Geographic Code of 2021: Bellevigne-en-Layon (only the territory of the delegated municipality of Thouarcé).
Maps showing the geographical area can be viewed on the website of the National Institute of Origin and Quality.
10.   Link with the geographical area


Category of grapevine product







1.


Wine





Summary of the link

1.   Information on the geographical area

(a)   Description of the natural factors relevant to the link
The geographical area lies in the very heart of Anjou’s winegrowing region, and in 2021 it was limited to the delegated municipality of Thouarcé. This municipality is located in the department of Maine-et-Loire and its territory is divided by the River Layon. The hamlet of Bonnezeaux is perched high up on a steep slope on the right bank of the river. The name ‘Bonnezeaux’ seems to refer to sources of ferruginous water. The vineyards grow on three slopes that sit next to each other and face south-west. They are called ‘La Montagne’, ‘Beauregard’ and ‘Fesles’ and form a strip 2 800 metres long and 500 metres wide. The steepness of these slopes is approximately 15 % to 20 %. It is particularly marked on the western side of ‘Beauregard’ and on the middle slope, aptly called ‘La Montagne’, which begins near the hamlet of Petit Bonnezeaux. To the north of these three demarcated slopes there is a slightly undulating plateau with an average altitude of 90 m. The River Layon runs at an altitude of 29 metres. The geological substratum belongs to the Saint-Georges-sur-Loire series, which is a schist-and-sandstone complex dating back to the upper Ordovician – lower Devonian period. It is sometimes covered by gravelly-clayey or sandy-clayey formations of the Cenomanian, in particular on the ‘Fesles’ slope. Erosion has exposed the slaty basement, while the sand and clay have remained in place on the back slopes and on the plateau. As a consequence, the parcels that are precisely demarcated for the grape harvest are fairly shallow and very rich in coarse fragments. Their colour is greenish grey and occasionally resembles the colour of wine lees. They have water reserves below 100 mm and excellent drainage capacity. The geographical area has an attenuated oceanic climate and limited precipitation. It is sheltered from maritime mists by the higher slopes of Choletais and Mauges. In places the slopes are exposed to the prevailing winds from the south-west and west. Annual rainfall is approximately 550 mm to 600 mm, compared to over 800 mm on the slopes of Choletais and Mauges. Rainfall during the growing cycle of the vine is approximately 100 mm lower than the average in the department. Typically southern flora grows specifically on these slopes owing to their relative aridity and temperatures that are higher than in surrounding areas.
(b)   Description of the human factors relevant to the geographical link
The Chenin B variety, which probably originates in the Anjou region, has found a prime location in Bonnezeaux. It is a hardy variety that expresses its potential in challenging soil conditions. Producers quickly recognised the benefits of late harvesting this variety using specific techniques. Count Odart wrote the following in his 1845 ‘Traité des cépages’ treatise on vines: ‘We should also add the condition of not harvesting the grapes until around All Saints’ Day, when the grapes are overripe and their skin is sphacelous after being softened by the rains.’ In other words, late harvesting is typical. In his 1816 work ‘Topographie de tous les vignobles connus’, Jullien noted that ‘For the good vintages, the grape-pickers pass through the vines several times; the grapes picked in the first two passes are used for only the most mature wines, providing the wines for export, and the grapes from the third pass are used for wines for domestic consumption.’ As a result of the findings and analyses made by several generations of producers, ‘Bonnezeaux’ wines now rank among the finest in Anjou. To quote the French translation, entitled ‘Nouvelle Géographie Universelle’, [of A New Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar] by British geographer William Guthrie (1708-1770), published in 1802: ‘Anjou wines can be divided into three classes. Those in the first class come from the villages of Faye, Saint-Lambert, Rablé, Maligny, Chavagne and Thouarcé, home to the Bonnezeaux vineyards.’ A number of references to these prestigious vineyards have been made since then. The phylloxera crisis curbed their growth severely, with only one local market continuing to receive supplies. Through the serious efforts of the union of ‘Bonnezeaux’ producers, who wanted to keep yields low and maintain the practice of harvesting grapes in multiple passes, the wine first made a comeback on the French market before being exported abroad again. The controlled designation of origin ‘Bonnezeaux’ was recognised on 6 November 1951.
2.   Information on the quality and characteristics of the product

These wines are appreciated because of their vigour. Their great sweetness, which is caused by a high fermentable sugar content, is combined with a fruitiness that is often complex (dried fruit, exotic fruit, white flowers, etc.) and perhaps unexpected considering the generally light golden colour of the wines and their green tints. The balance between acidity, alcohol and unctuousness allows the wines to acquire even more complexity over the years.
3.   Causal interactions

These vineyards, with their steep south-west-facing slopes and shallow and stony soils with exceptional thermal properties, are favourable to early growth and the maturation of the Chenin B variety. As a result of the prevailing winds that sweep the slopes and the extremely low water supply of the vines growing on skeletal soil, the grapes are concentrated on the vine through wilting or drying typical of these vineyards. The producers have managed to make the best of this particularity. The very low yields show how committed the producers are to the quality of the grapes. ‘Bonnezeaux’ wines owe their fine reputation to the late harvesting of the Chenin B grape on these slopes, which is carried out in multiple passes so as to select very ripe grapes. The history and renown of ‘Bonnezeaux’ wines are closely linked to those of Anjou and ‘Coteaux du Layon’ wines.
11.   Further applicable requirements


Title of the requirement/derogation

Area in immediate proximity

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 immediate proximity, defined by derogation for winegrowing, production and maturation, comprises the territory of the following municipalities of the department of Maine-et-Loire, on the basis of the Official Geographical Code of 2021: Aubigné-sur-Layon, Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Bellevigne-en-Layon (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Champ-sur-Layon, Faveraye-Mâchelles, Faye-d’Anjou and Rablay-sur-Layon), Blaison-Saint-Sulpice, Brissac Loire Aubance (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Alleuds, Brissac-Quincé, Charcé-Saint-Ellier-sur-Aubance, Luigné, Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne, Saint-Saturnin-sur-Loire, Saulgé-l’Hôpital and Vauchrétien), Brossay, Chalonnes-sur-Loire, Chaudefonds-sur-Layon, Chemillé-en-Anjou (only the territory of the delegated municipalities of Chanzeaux and Valanjou), Denée, Doué-en-Anjou (only the territory of the delegated municipality of Brigné), Les Garennes-sur-Loire, Lys-Haut-Layon (only the territory of the delegated municipality of Tigné), Mozé-sur-Louet, Mûrs-Erigné, Rochefort-sur-Loire, Saint-Melaine-sur-Aubance, Savennières, Soulaines-sur-Aubance, Terranjou, Val-du-Layon.
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

Labelling: optional terms

Legal framework

National legislation

Type of further requirement/derogation

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the requirement/derogation

The optional terms whose use, under EU provisions, may be regulated by the Member States, are marked on the labels in letters that must not be larger, in height, width or thickness, than twice the size of the letters forming the name of the protected designation of origin.

Title of the requirement/derogation

Labelling: geographical designation ‘Vin de Loire’ [‘Loire wine’]

Legal framework

National legislation

Type of further requirement/derogation

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the requirement/derogation

The size of the letters of the geographical designation ‘Vin de Loire’ [‘Loire wine’] must not be larger, either in height or in width, than two-thirds of the size of the letters forming the name of the protected designation of origin.

Title of the requirement/derogation

Labelling: smaller geographical unit

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 a smaller geographical unit on their labels, provided that:






—


it is a registered location;










—


it appears on the harvest declaration.




The name of the registered location must be printed in letters no larger, either in height or in width, than half 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-c7e177a3-79d3-4a75-a084-381e48db0fb6



(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/2026/3001/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)