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As of August 10, 2019, the Côtes de Provence AOC has a new official sub-region: Notre-Dame des Anges. This makes for a total of five sub-regions assigned to the appellation, including those previously named—Sainte-Victoire, Fréjus, La Londe, and Pierrefeu. The name Notre-Dame des Anges refers to one of the highest peaks in the Massif des Maures. The peak of the mountain is visible throughout the appellation and—for those willing to make the climb—is adorned with the 19^th-century Chapel of Notre-Dames des Anges (Our Lady of the Angels).

The defined region consists of ten communes—Les Arcs/Argens, Carnoules, Taradeau, Vidauban, Le Cannet-des-Maures, La Garde-Freinet, Le Luc, Les Mayons, Gonfaron and Pignans—located somewhat in the center area of the Var Department of Southeastern France. The area currently has 9,640 acres (3,900 ha) planted to vine, but for the time being only a portion of the established vineyards have been approved for use of the Notre-Dame des Anges designation. The area is unique from the surrounding terrain due to slope, aspect, and elevation, and well as soils dominated by sandstone, limestone, and schist.

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The Côtes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges AOC is approved for red and rosé wines. The specifications include the following:

• Principal varieties: Cinsault, Grenache Noir, and Syrah
  • At least 80% of the blend must be made using principal varieties, and no single grape may comprise more than 80% of the total blend
• Accessory varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Clairette Blanc, Mourvèdre, Sémillon, Tibouren, Ugni Blanc, and Vermentino
  • Carignan is limited to a maximum of 10% of the blend
  • Clairette Blanc, Sémillon, and Ugni Blanc are limited to a combined maximum of 10% of the blend—and—the combination of Clairette Blanc, Sémillon, Ugni Blanc, and Vermentino is limited to a maximum of 20% of the blend
• For red wines:
  • Minimum 12% abv
  • Date of first allowed release: September 1 of the year following harvest
• For rosé:
  • Minimum 11.5% abv
  • Date of first allowed release:  December 15 of the harvest year

This modification to the Cahier des Charges for the Côtes de Provence AOC was approved by the INAO on February 14, 2019 and published in the Official Journal of France on August 10, 2019. Wines labeled with the appellation Côtes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges AOC will be allowed as of the 2019 vintage release; however, the modification will still need to seek the final approval of the European Union.

Welcome to the world, Côtes de Provence Notre-Dame des Anges!

References/for more information:

• https://www.vinsdeprovence.com/actualites/cotes-de-provence-notre-dame-des-anges-nouvelle-dgc-de-l-aoc-cotes-de-provence
• Link to the Announcement in the Official Journal of France – August 10, 2019: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=2074AAC4BEB495EBE305C948957F39A4.tplgfr29s_3?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000038906357&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id&idJO=JORFCONT000038905982
• Modification du Cahier des charges – Cotes de Provence AOC – August 1 2019

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Photo via: https://pagodelvicario.com/

On Tuesday, August 6, 2019 the EU-approved Vino de Pago el Vicario protected designation of origin/PDO wine of Spain came into force.

The newly-registered Pago is located in the comunidad autónoma of Castilla-La Mancha, and is surrounded by the larger La Mancha DO. The registration of the Vino de Pago el Vicario makes a total of 19 Pagos registered in Spain (of which 12 are located in the region of Castilla-La Mancha). According to the fresh-off-the-presses documentation, the details concerning the Vino de Pago el Vicario PDO includes the following:

Location: 86 parcels are approved for use in the wines of the Vino de Pago El Vicario; all of these are located in the municipality of ciudad Real (Castilla–La Mancha, Spain).

Allowed grape varieties: Tempranillo, Syrah, Garnacha Tinta, Cabernet Sauvignon, Graciano, Petit Verdot Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Photo via: https://pagodelvicario.com/

Types/styles of wine:

• Vino blanco parcialmente fermentado en barrica (partially barrel-fermented white wine)
  • Produced from Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon Blanc, macerated on the grape skins for 12 to 24 hours prior to pressing; small amounts of Tempranillo and/or Garnacha Tinta may be used as well
  • At least 15% of the must is barrel-fermented and allowed to rest on the lees (in the barrels) for 4 to 8 months. Barrels must be European Oak and no older than two years of age. The remainder of the must may be fermented in stainless steel.
• Vino blanco de uva tinta (white wine from black grapes/blanc de noir)
  • Produced using Tempranillo and/or Garnacha Tinta
  • Fermented in stainless steel
• Vino rosado (rosé)
  • Produced using Petit Verdot
  • Stainless steel fermentation
• Vino blanco semidulce (semi-sweet white wine)
  • Produced from Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon Blanc, macerated on the grape skins for 12 to 24 hours prior to pressing
  • Fermented in stainless steel
  • 1.2% to 4.5% residual sugar
• Vinos tintos elaborados con mezcla de variedades autóctonas y foráneas (blended red wines made with indigenous and international varieties)
  • Produced using Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha Tinta, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and/or Petit Verdot
  • Maceration lasts between 5 and 22 days, grapes may be separately or co-fermented, fermentation is followed by barrel aging (no time specified)
• Vinos tintos elaborados con mezcla de variedades autóctonas foráneas (blended red wines made with indigenous varieties)
  • Produced using Tempranillo, Graciano, and/or Garnacha Tinta
  • Maceration lasts between 5 and 22 days, grapes may be separately or co-fermented, fermentation is followed by barrel aging (no time specified)
• Vino tinto dulce (sweet red wine)
  • Produced solely using Merlot
  • Maceration lasts between 6 and 15 days, minimum of 4.5% residual sugar

The area is named for the Vicario Dam, located along the River Guadiana. The demarcated area is located about 2 km (1.2 miles) from the river itself and consists of gently rolling hills leading to the banks of the river. The limestone soil is shallow and contains an exceptionally high level of calcium. The proximity to the river (and its temperature-moderating effects) as well as the unique soil of the area help to differentiate the Pago del Vicario PDO from the remainder of the La Mancha DO.

Welcome to the world, Vino de Pago el Vicario!

References/for more information:

• EU Commission Implementing Decsion – Registration of Vino de Pago Vicario
• Official Journal of the European Union for August 6, 2019 (see page 11)
• Pliego de Condiciones Vino de Pago el Vicario
• Pago del Vicario

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

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As of June 18, 2019, the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali or MiPAAF) has registered the promotion of Tullum (also known as Terre Tollesi) to be Italy’s 75^th DOCG for wine. (Tullum was formerly—since 2008—a DOC.)

Located in Italy’s Abruzzo Region (and centered around the town of Tollo), the Tullum DOCG is just a few miles inland from taly’s Adriatic coastline (within the Cheiti Province). Tullum is the second DOCG in Abruzzo—the first was the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG, promoted from a former sub-region of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC in 2003.

According to the Disciplinare (rules and regulations), the Tullum DOCG will produce red, white, and sparkling wines. The standards include the following:

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  Rosso: Minimum 95% Montepulciano grapes, up to 5% other red grapes approved for use in Abruzzo, minimum 13% abv, may be released as early as January 1 of the second year following harvest

• Rosso Riserva: Minimum 95% Montepulciano grapes, up to 5% other red grapes approved for use in Abruzzo, minimum 13.5% abv, must be aged for a minimum of two years (beginning on January 1 of the year following harvest) to include at least six months in wood

• Pecorino: Minimum 90% Pecorino, up to 10% other white grapes approved for use in Abruzzo, minimum 13% abv, may be released as early as January 1 of the year following harvest

• Passerina: Minimum 90% Passerina, up to 10% other white grapes approved for use in Abruzzo, minimum 12.5% abv, may be released as early as January 1 of the year following harvest

• Spumante: Minimum 60% Chardonnay; the remainder is allowed to be other non-aromatic grapes approved for use in Abruzzo, minimum 12% abv, may be produced in a range of sweetness styles from brut nature to dolce

Welcome to the world, Tullum DOCG! The registration for the Tullum DOCG will need to wind its way through the EU approval process, but with the blessing of the MiPAAF, the designation will be allowed for use on wine labels as of the 2019 vintage (along with some “eligible stock” from previous vintages). We’ll post more information as it becomes available.

Note: As of the latest count, Italy has 75 DOCGs and over 330 DOCs for wine. More are sure to follow!

References/for more information:

• DOP Tullum – modifica ordinaria
• Gazzetta Ufficiale della Republica Italiana May 4 2019 (see page 48)
• Consorzio DOP Tullum
• Map of the wine regions of Abruzzo via Federdoc

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, your blog administrator…

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On Wednesday, June 19, 2019 France’s Institut National de l’origine et de la Qualité (INAO) approved a revision of the Cahier des Charges of the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC and in doing so, approved four new sub-zones for the appellation. These geographical indications are sometimes referred to as Crus, or Crus Communaux (cru communal zones).

This new announcement means that the appellation now contains seven sub-zones including Clisson, Gorges, and Le Pallet (approved in 2011). These seven sub-zones represent the highest-quality wines (and very limited production) from the large and Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine appellation.

The Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC is located in the Pays Nantais area of France’s Loire Valley, and is known for still (non-sparkling) white wines produced using 100% Melon de Bourgogne grapes. Much of the production is produced in the sur lie style, requiring that the wine be aged on the lees (expired yeast cells) until at least March 1 of the year following the harvest. (A sub-zone designation typically requires longer minimum sure lie aging times as well as other specific standards required for qualification.)

Map of Muscadet via: https://www.vinsvaldeloire.fr/en

The new sub-zones are as follows:

Goulaine: Goulaine is the northernmost as well as the largest of the seven crus of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC. This area is dominated by a series of small hills overlooking the Marais de Goulaine (a swampy area known as the Marsh of Goulaine). Top soils are coarse and sandy; subsoils are mainly metamorphic (gneiss and schist). Vines in the Goulaine sub-zone tend to have early bud break and are often the first vines in the area to be ready for harvest.

Château-Thébaud: The Château-Thébaud sub-zone is located in the southwest portion of the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC, just to the north of Clisson. The area consists mainly of hills and hillsides, some of them steep and wooded. Many of the finest vineyard sites are located near the Maine River as it flows through this area in a north/northwest direction. Soils are mainly sandy/stony atop granite and gneiss.

Detail of the map of Muscadet via: https://www.vinsvaldeloire.fr/en

Monnières-Saint-Fiacre: The Monnières-Saint-Fiacre cru—also located just to the north of the Clisson subzone—lies just to the east of Château-Thébaud. The vineyards are planted on a succession of hillsides spread over eastern bank of the River Sèvre, extending into the surrounding valleys and woods. The soils consist primarily of sandy loam over a subsoil of gneiss and some clay.

Mouzillon-Tillières: Mouzillon-Tillières is located to the north of the River Sèvre, to the north/northeast of the Gorges sub-zone. It is centered around the Sanguèze River (a 44km-/27 mile-long tributary of the Loire).  The vines are planted on a series of small hillsides and outcrops along both the sides of the river. The soils are mainly composed of sand and clay over gabbro bedrock (gabbro is an igneous rock created by the slow, underground cooling of magma).

Keep those flashcards handy: According to the website of Loire Valley Wines (Vins de Val de Loire), three more areas— La Haye-Fouassière and Vallet (in Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine), as well as Champtoceaux (located within the Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOC)—are being considered for sub-zone status.

Please note that while you will be able to see these subzones on wine labels beginning with the 2018 harvest, the new-and-improved Cahier des Charges for the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC (as linked below) will still need to wind its way through the EU registration process.

Click here for more information on Muscadet (note the details on the Clisson, Gorges, and Le Pallet sub-zones near the bottom of the page).

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

References/for more information:

• https://www.vinsvaldeloire.fr/fr/node/141259
• https://actu.fr/pays-de-la-loire/vertou_44215/quatre-nouveaux-crus-muscadet-reconnus_25135701.html
• Press kit on Muscadet from Vins de Val de Loire 2018 (in French, but with many useful maps and graphics for those of us who don’t speak French)
• Cahier des Charges-Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine updated November 2018
• Avis de consultation publique – AOC Muscadet Sèvre et Maine