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PGI — Poitou-Charentes
A Charentais melon turned golden at ripeness, as sweet as summer sunshine — the fruit of Poitou's limestone soil.
Vegetable from Poitou-Charentes, PGI (IGP) since 1998.
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The Melon du Haut-Poitou belongs to the Charentais jaune varietal type — a variety, not a provenance. Open-field melon cultivation began in the region in 1856 in Guesnes, when the young gardener Vincent Thibault leased a few ares and brought in his first successful harvest; cultivation then expanded across the market-gardening land of Haut-Poitou. Around 1962–1970, the Charentais melon gradually replaced traditional local melons, offering larger, more uniform fruit that kept better. In 1998, the Protected Geographical Indication came to certify Poitevin excellence. Today, production covers around 1,250 hectares across Deux-Sèvres, Vienne and Indre-et-Loire; the syndicate's members alone cultivate 1,000 to 1,200 hectares, representing roughly 30% of the regional surface area, for a volume accounting for 15% of total production across the geographical area.
Haut-Poitou owes its melon-growing reputation to its clay-limestone soils — the PGI specification demands their exclusive use, to the exclusion of any other soil type. The active limestone in these soils, easily assimilated by the plant, enhances the firmness of the flesh and the toughness of the rind while reducing the risk of vitrescence; furthermore, their good available water capacity ensures steady growth without water stress. The climate, influenced by both the Loire and the Atlantic, provides high, steady temperatures throughout the season, with alternating hot days and cool nights setting the tempo for the 90 days required for the fruit to reach full ripeness. Growers practise a crop rotation of at least five years on the same plot, occasionally leasing their land to neighbouring grain farmers — melon being an excellent preceding crop for wheat cultivation.
The renown of the Haut-Poitou melon dates back a long way: as early as 1896, accounts record that market gardeners from Guesnes were selling their melons at the foot of the basilica during the traditional market of Pitié. In 1905, it featured on the menu of an official banquet held in Poitiers in honour of the Minister of War — further proof of an already well-established reputation. Even today, the product is found in major supermarkets as well as luxury grocery stores such as Fauchon or Hédiard, and on the tables of leading names in French gastronomy. The member growers of the syndicate carry on this commitment to quality and deep attachment to their terroir.
Appearance
Spherical shape, well-defined ribs, rind turning yellow at maturity and covered with a network of "netting" of varying thickness depending on the variety; weight between 550 g and 1,350 g.
Aroma
Intensely aromatic fragrance, combined with a pronounced sweet flavour.
Taste
Sweet flavour, with a sugar content measured by refractometric index greater than or equal to 12°Brix.
Texture
Firm flesh in the mouth, exceptionally juicy and melting, deep orange in colour, free from vitrescence.
The specification authorises several varieties, all exclusively of the Charentais jaune type (Charentais vert varieties are excluded), entered on a list maintained by the group following trials conducted over two growing seasons on clay-limestone soils and a favourable opinion from a tasting panel. A distinction is made between early, mid-early and main-season varieties, which determine the harvesting period in particular.
In greenhouses from 1 March to 30 June (10 to 30 days), or by direct sowing from 10 May to 20 June.
Exclusively clay-limestone, with a crop rotation of at least 5 years on the same plot.
Drip irrigation, to limit water consumption on this naturally dry terroir.
Around 90 days, fostered by the alternation of warm days and cool nights.
From 1 July to 30 September, harvested by hand in several successive passes to pick only fruit at optimal ripeness.
Initial shift in rind colour towards yellow, yellowing of the leaf closest to the fruit, or detachment of the stem.
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Since: 1998
Area covered: Maine-et-Loire (49), Indre-et-Loire (37), north-east Deux-Sèvres (79), northern Vienne (86)
Key requirements: Open-field planting, exclusively clay-limestone soils, Charentais jaune variety, sugar content ≥ 12°Brix, manual harvesting from 1 July to 30 September, yield capped at 12 t/ha.
The label is issued by the INAO; the Syndicat des Producteurs de Melons du Haut-Poitou, which applied for the specification, manages it.
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