Publication of a communication of approval of a standard amendment to a product specification for a name in the wine sector referred to in Article 17(2) and (3) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33

(2021/C 21/08)

This communication is published in accordance with Article 17(5) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (1).

COMMUNICATION OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT TO THE SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘CÔTES DU RHÔNE VILLAGES’

PDO-FR-A0664-AM05

Date of communication: 5 November 2020

DESCRIPTION OF AND REASONS FOR THE APPROVED AMENDMENT

1. Introduction of a new complementary geographical name

In point II of Chapter I of the specification for the protected designation of origin ‘Côtes du Rhône Villages’, ‘Nyons’ has been added as a new complementary geographical name.

This complementary geographical name is an optional labelling term.

The amendment also affects points III (product types and colours) and IV (geographical area) of the specification.

In point 9 ‘Other essential conditions’ of the single document, an additional labelling provision has been added regarding the complementary geographical name ‘Nyons’.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

1. Product name

Côtes du Rhône Villages

2. Geographical indication type

PDO - Protected designation of origin

3. Categories of grapevine product

Wine

4. Description of the wine(s)

Red, rosé and white wines

The wines are still and dry (with a fermentable sugar content not exceeding 4 g/l).

Red and rosé wines account for the bulk of production (98 %). The wines are round and generous with good colour intensity. They are suited to ageing for varying lengths of time depending on the soil type and the blend of varieties, as determined by producers based on their expertise.

The Grenache N variety makes up at least 40 % of the blends, in combination with Syrah N and/or Mourvèdre N, which, as main varieties, account for at least 25 % of the variety mix.

The white wines are round in the mouth, sometimes with notes of spices and vanilla.

The wines must have a natural alcoholic strength by volume of at least 12 %.

The red wines have a malic acid content of less than 0,4 g/l.

The other analytical criteria are in line with EU rules.

General analytical characteristics
Maximum total alcoholic strength (in % volume)	14,5
Minimum actual alcoholic strength (in % volume)
Minimum total acidity
Maximum volatile acidity (in milliequivalents per litre)	16,33
Maximum total sulphur dioxide (in milligrams per litre)

5. Wine-making practices

a. Specific oenological practices

Oenological practices

Specific oenological practice

—	Subtractive enrichment techniques are permitted for the red wines up to a concentration rate of 10 %;

—	To produce the rosé wines, winemakers are permitted to use oenological charcoal exclusively on press musts, without exceeding 20 % of the total volume made into wine by the operator for that harvest.

Spacing between rows and plants

Growing method

—	The spacing between rows is 2,50 m or less;

—	The area available for each plant is up to 2,5 m2, calculated by multiplying the distance between rows and the space between plants in the same row;

—	The spacing between plants in the same row is between 0,80 m and 1,25 m.

Pruning – General provisions

Growing method

—	The vines are pruned short (using the Gobelet or Cordon de Royat method), with a maximum of six spurs per plant. Each spur has a maximum of two buds;

—	The period for establishing the cordon is limited to 2 years. During this period, single or double Guyot pruning is allowed as defined below for the Viognier B variety.

Pruning – Special provision

Growing method

The Viognier B variety may be pruned:

—	either using the single Guyot method, with a maximum of eight buds on the rod and one or two spurs with a maximum of two buds on each spur;

—	or using the double Guyot method, with a maximum of six buds on each rod and one or two spurs with a maximum of two buds on each spur.

Irrigation

Growing method

Irrigation may be permitted.

Growing methods to preserve the characteristics of the physical and biological environment

Growing method

—	Plastic mulching is prohibited;

—	No substantial alterations may be made to the shape and contours of the landscape or the natural pedological sequence of parcels intended for production of wine bearing the registered designation of origin.

b. Maximum yields

50 hectolitres per hectare

6. Demarcated geographical area

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

—	Department of Ardèche: Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Saint-Just-d’Ardèche, Saint-Marcel-d’Ardèche, Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche;

—	Department of Drôme: Bouchet, Mérindol-les-Oliviers, Mirabel-aux-Baronnies, Mollans-sur-Ouvèze, Montbrison, Nyons, (Le) Pègue, Piégon, Rochegude, Rousset-les-Vignes, Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues, Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes, Suze-la-Rousse, Taulignan, Tulette, Venterol, Vinsobres;

—

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-Saturnin-lès-Avignon, Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Séguret, Sérignan-du-Comtat, Sorgues, Suzette, Travaillan, Uchaux, Vaison-la-Romaine, Valréas, Vedène, Villedieu, Violès, Visan.

7. Main 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.

Some 350 000 hectolitres, including 5 000 hectolitres of white wine, were produced in 2010.

The wines are still and dry. Reds and rosés account for the bulk of production. The wines are round and generous with good colour intensity. They are suited to ageing for varying lengths of time depending on the soil type (sandy or sandy-loamy soils give lighter wines and stony or clayey soils richer, tannic wines) and on the blend of varieties, as determined by producers based on their expertise.

The wines are produced by blending the Grenache N variety with Syrah N or Mourvèdre N. At least 66 % of the blend is made up of these three main varieties. The white wines (accounting for 2 % of production) are round in the mouth, sometimes with notes of spices and vanilla.

The wines are made from grapes grown on carefully selected parcels in the ‘Côtes du Rhône’ production area. They are a particular and genuine expression of the natural and human potential associated with wines from the Rhône valley.

The wines produced thus bear witness to and are the result of a ‘unique diversity’ that producers have been able to harness, adapting the variety mix and selecting the best plots to take advantage of the favourable climate and the presence of the Rhône.

The Rhône valley has a climate well suited to growing vines, due both to the ‘cleansing’ effect of the Mistral, the violent, cold and dry wind that protects the vines from cryptogamic diseases, and to the good ripening conditions for the grapes, also linked to the frequent Mistral winds, of abundant sunshine and just the right level and concentration of rainfall.

Since the time of Greek colonisation the Rhône valley has provided a major maritime and later rail and land route for the wine trade, thus allowing a proud winegrowing tradition to be upheld for more than two millennia.

9. Essential further conditions (packaging, labelling, other requirements)

Area in immediate proximity

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Derogation concerning production in the demarcated geographical area

Description of the condition:

The area in immediate proximity, defined by derogation for the making and development of the wines, is made up of the territory of:

—

66 municipalities in the department of Ardèche: Alboussière, Andance, Ardoix, Arlebosc, Arras-sur-Rhône, Baix, Beauchastel, Bidon, Boffres, Bogy, Champagne, Champis, Charmes-sur-Rhône, Charnas, Châteaubourg, Cheminas, Colombier-le-Cardinal, Cornas, Eclassan, Etables, Félines, Flaviac, Gilhac-et-Bruzac, Glun, Guilherand-Granges, Gras, Labastide-de-Virac, Lemps, Limony, Mauves, Ozon, Peaugres, Peyraud, Plats, Le Pouzin, Quintenas, Rompon, Saint-Barthélemy-le-Plain, Saint-Cierge-la-Serre, Saint-Cyr, Saint Désirat, Saint Etienne de Valoux, Saint-Georges-les-Bains, Saint-Jean-de Muzols, Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban, Saint-Laurent-du-Pape, Saint-Montan, Saint-Péray, Saint-Remèze, Saint-Romain-d’Ay, Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, Saint-Symphorien-sous-Chomérac, Saint-Vincent-de-Durfort, Sarras, Savas, Sécheras, Serrières, Soyons, Talencieux, Thorrenc, Toulaud, Tournon-sur-Rhône, Vernosc-les-Annonay, Vinzieux, Vion, La Voulte;

—

64 municipalities in the department of Drôme: Albon, Aleyrac, Allex, Ambonil, Andancette, Aubres, La Baume-de-Transit, Beaumont-Monteux, Beausemblant, Benivay-Ollon, Bourg-les-Valence, Chanos-Curson, Chantemerle-les-Blés, Châteauneuf-de-Bordette, Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, Chavannes, Clérieux, Colonzelle, Condorcet, Crozes-Hermitage, Donzère, Erôme, Etoile-sur-Rhône, La Garde-Adhémar, Gervans, Grane, Granges-les-Beaumont, Les Granges-Gontardes, Grignan, Larnage, La Roche-de-Glun, Laveyron, Livron-sur-Drôme, Loriol-sur-Drôme, Mercurol, Montjoux, Montoison, Montségur-sur-Lauzon, La Motte-de-Galaure, La Penne-sur-l’Ouvèze, Les Pilles, Pierrelatte, Pierrelongue, Le Poët-Laval, Ponsas, Pont-de-l’Isère, Propiac, Roche-Saint-Secret-Béconne, Roussas, Saint-Barthélemy-de-Vals, Saint-Gervais-sur-Roubion, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, Saint-Rambert-d’Albon, Saint-Restitut, Saint-Uze, Saint-Vallier, Salles-sous-Bois, Serves-sur-Rhône, Solérieux, Tain-l’Hermitage, Teyssières, Triors, Valence, Veaunes;

—

40 municipalities in the department of Gard: Les Angles, Aramon, La Bastide-d’Engras, La Capelle-et-Masmolène, Carsan, Connaux, Flaux, Le Garn, Goudargues, Issirac, Jonquières-Saint-Vincent, Laval-Saint-Roman, Le Pin, Lirac, Meynes, Montfaucon, La Roque-sur-Cèze, Pougnadoresse, Pouzilhac, Remoulins, Roquemaure, Saint-André-d’Olérargues, Saint-André-de-Roquepertuis, Saint-Bonnet-du-Gard, Saint-Christol-de-Rodières, Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas, Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas, Saint-Laurent-de-Carnols, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, Saint-Laurent-la-Vernède, Saint-Paul-les-Fonts, Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson, Salazac, Sernhac, Tavel, Théziers, Vallabrix, Verfeuil, Vers-Pont-du-Gard, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon;

—	12 municipalities in the department of Isère: Chonas-l’Amballan, Le-Péage-de-Roussillon, Reventin-Vaugris, Les Roches-de-Condrieu, Sablons, Saint-Alban-du-Rhône, Saint-Clair-du-Rhône, Saint-Maurice-l’Exil, Salaise-sur-Sanne, Seyssuel, Vienne.

Supplementary geographical names

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The name of the registered designation of origin may be followed by one of the complementary geographical names listed below if the wines meet the production requirements laid down in the specification for these names:

—	‘Chusclan’

—

‘Gadagne’

—

‘Laudun’

—	‘Massif d’Uchaux’

—

‘Nyons’

—	‘Plan de Dieu’

—	‘Puyméras’

—

‘Roaix’

—	‘Rochegude’

—	‘Rousset-les-Vignes’

—

‘Sablet’

—	‘Saint-Andéol’

—	‘Saint-Gervais’

—	‘Saint-Maurice’

—	‘Saint-Pantaléon-les-Vignes’

—	‘Sainte-Cécile’

—

‘Séguret’

—	‘Signargues’

—	‘Suze-la-Rousse’

—	‘Vaison-la-Romaine’

—

‘Valréas’

—

‘Visan’.

Broader geographical unit

Legal framework:

National legislation

Type of further condition:

Additional provisions relating to labelling

Description of the condition:

The labels of wines bearing the registered designation of origin ‘Côtes du Rhône Villages’ may specify the larger geographical unit ‘Vignobles de la Vallée du Rhône’ under the conditions set out in the agreement signed between the protection and management bodies concerned.

Link to the product specification

http://info.agriculture.gouv.fr/gedei/site/bo-agri/document_administratif-5f363739-d2b7-4d40-83a3-8d27c2dc6ff9

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