AI-generated illustration
AOC — PDO — Languedoc-Roussillon
Introduced by the Arabs more than ten centuries ago, the apricot tree found in the Roussillon plain, between the Mediterranean and Canigou, the land where its bright red speckles grow nowhere else.
Fruit from Languedoc-Roussillon, PDO (AOP) since 2016.
AI-generated illustration
Introduced by Arab populations, the apricot tree has been present in the geographical area of Roussillon for more than ten centuries, benefiting from an ancestral network of irrigation canals, most of which date back to the Middle Ages. Its commercial cultivation only truly developed in the early 19th century, before being boosted by the arrival of the railway, which opened access to distant markets for Roussillon growers. The boom was spectacular: in 1937, the Roussillon harvest accounted for 60% of French apricot production, and in 1971 the Pyrénées-Orientales was the country's leading producing department, with 72% of its planted area dedicated to the single population variety 'Rouge du Roussillon'.
AI-generated illustration
For more than a century, apricot cultivation in Roussillon remained tied to a single varietal type, 'Rouge du Roussillon', noted as early as 1938 for its perfect adaptation to the local climate. Over successive graftings and through environmental factors, this type evolved into a 'population variety'. A breeding programme launched in the mid-20th century, aimed at curbing biennial bearing, led first to clone A157, then to the varieties Aviéra (1988), Avikandi (1991), and Royal Roussillon (1996). All have remained confined to this single production basin: the rare attempts at planting outside the Pyrénées-Orientales — one hectare of Rouge du Roussillon and one and a half hectares of Aviéra recorded in 2010 — never resulted in commercial production, earning these varieties the description 'endemic'.
The Syndicat de défense des Abricots rouges du Roussillon submitted its application for recognition as an appellation d'origine contrôlée, which was examined by the INAO national committee on 5 June 2014. Decree No. 2015-345 of 26 March 2015, published in the Journal officiel of 28 March, recognised the AOC and approved its specifications, granting Abricots rouges du Roussillon transitional national protection pending registration by the European Commission. This registration took place via Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/198 of 3 February 2016: Abricots rouges du Roussillon obtained PDO (AOP) status.
Appearance
Orange background colour, characteristic bright red speckles, small to medium size (35 to 55 mm in diameter)
Aroma
Intense aromas of fresh fruit, between peach and nectarine
Taste
Sweet flavour, sugar content exceeding 12° Brix, low acidity, notes of apricot juice
Texture
Supple, juicy, and melting flesh
Four varieties, all originating from or derived from the same genetic stock and confined to this single production basin, can claim the appellation:
(population and clone A157) — historic variety, at the origin of all the others
selected in 1988
selected in 1991
selected in 1996
mown grass cover or soil tillage at least twice a year between rows; average yield capped at 30 tonnes per hectare.
cold storage at 10 °C maximum, with a maximum of 6 days between harvest and dispatch.
AI-generated illustration
Available at markets from mid-June to mid-August, Abricots rouges du Roussillon can be enjoyed fresh as well as processed: in jam, folded into yoghurts, or baked in crumbles.
Since: 2015
Area covered: Around one hundred communes in Pyrénées-Orientales (66), along the valleys of the Tech, the Têt, and the Agly, from the Mediterranean coast to the foothills of the Corbières and Canigou (up to 450 m in altitude)
Key requirements: Four authorised varieties (Rouge du Roussillon, Aviéra, Avikandi, Royal Roussillon); orange background colour with bright red speckles; size from 35 to 55 mm; sugar content above 12° Brix; manual harvesting; sorting, grading, and packaging within the geographical area, in rigid containers (maximum 5 kg for the fresh market, 25 kg for processing); maximum of 6 days from harvest to dispatch; cold storage at a maximum of 10 °C
Reference: Décret n°2015-345, JORF n°0074 du 28 mars 2015.
Since: 2016
Area covered: Around one hundred communes in Pyrénées-Orientales (66), along the valleys of the Tech, the Têt, and the Agly, from the Mediterranean coast to the foothills of the Corbières and Canigou (up to 450 m in altitude)
Key requirements: European registration of the appellation d'origine contrôlée, confirming the requirements of the national specifications
Reference: Règlement d'exécution (UE) 2016/198 de la Commission, JOUE L 39 du 16 février 2016.
No producer is listed for this product yet.
