C 60/42
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
17.2.2023
— Department of Gard: Aiguèze, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Castillon-du-Gard, Cavillargues, Chusclan, Codolet, Comps, Cornillon, Domazan, Estézargues, Fournès, Gaujac, Laudun, Montfrin, Orsan, Pont-Saint-Esprit, Pujaut, Rochefort-du-Gard, Sabran, Saint-Alexandre, Saint-Etienne-des-Sorts, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Hilaire-d’Ozilhan, Saint-Marcel-de-Careiret, Saint-Michel-d’Euzet, Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Pons-la-Calm, Saint-Victor-la-Coste, Sauveterre, Saze, Tresques, Valliguières, Vénéjan; — Department of Vaucluse: Beaumes-de-Venise, Bédarrides, Bollène, Buisson, Cairanne, Camaret-sur-Aigues, Caumont-sur-Durance, Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, Courthézon, Faucon, Grillon, Jonquières, La Roque-Alric, Lafare, Lagarde-Paréol, Mondragon, Morières-lès-Avignon, Orange, Piolenc, Puyméras, Rasteau, Richerenches, Roaix, Sablet, Saint-Marcellin-lès-Vaison, Saint-Romain-en-Viennois, Saint-Roman-de-Malegarde, Saint-Saturninlès-Avignon, Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Séguret, Sérignan-du-Comtat, Sorgues, Suzette, Travaillan, Uchaux, Vaisonla-Romaine, Valréas, Vedène, Villedieu, Violès, Visan.
7.
Wine grape variety(-ies) Clairette B Grenache N Grenache Blanc B Marsanne B Roussanne B Viognier B
8.
Description of the link(s) The geographical area extends between Montélimar and Avignon, across four departments in the southern part of the Rhône valley.
The river Rhône runs right through the area, providing an essential link to the outside world.
During the Tertiary era, the Rhône valley was a Mediterranean ‘fjord’ extending as far as Vienne.
As the sea receded, during the Quaternary era, the landscape acquired its current features through the effect of erosion (rain, winds, fluvial erosion).
As a result, the landscape is dominated by slopes and terraces.
The types of soil vary greatly and include river terraces, marns and soft limestone as well as soils created by erosion (marns, sand, sandstone or molasse).
The climate of the southern Rhône valley is Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and low annual rainfall.
It rains mainly in autumn and in late winter.
The climate is also strongly influenced by the Mistral, a dry and often violent northerly wind.
The Mistral blows for 120 days a year on average, clearing the sky and ensuring plenty of sunshine.
The mountains and hills framing the valley create a corridor effect that reinforces wind speeds (Rhône corridor Venturi effect).
The vineyards of the Rhône valley came into their own during the 18th century, and in the late 18th and the 19th century winegrowing expanded along the left river bank.
In 1864, Napoleon III commissioned Jules Guyot, an agronomist, to write a report on the state and future of French vineyards.
Guyot used the term ‘Côtes du Rhône’ (in the plural) to describe the vineyards extending from Saint-Gilles to Tournon via Beaucaire.
The proximity of the Rhône meant that the wines had good access to markets.
Winegrowing became a major source of income.
This position of strength led to recognition of ‘Côtes du Rhône’ as a registered designation of origin as from 1937.
Following on from this, producers expressed a wish to be able promote their best wines using specific geographical names.
This led to the recognition, in 1966, of the possibility of combining the ‘Côtes du Rhône’ designation of origin with the names of a number of municipalities to specify the origin of the grapes, reflecting the reputation the wines had acquired.
Then, in 1967, the ‘Côtes du Rhône Villages’ registered designation of origin was recognised.
These efforts to organise production in a ‘pyramid’ structure encouraged the recognition of geographical units to complement the ‘Côtes du Rhône Villages’ registered designation of origin.