The Climats Terroirs of Burgundy Official candidate for France for UNESCO World Heritage List Inscription PRESS KIT FROM BURGUNDY to BONN UPDATE ON THE ROAD OF the the WORLD HERitaGE LIST INSCRIPTION MAy 2015 Official candidate of France World Heritage UNESCO What EXactlY is A "CLIMAT" in BURGunDY? The Burgundian "Climats" – celebrated names like Montrachet, Romanée-Conti, Chambertin, Les Cailles… and there are 1 247 of them in the area – are parcels of vines, often rather small tracts of land, with precisely determined boundaries. They were created by natural conditions – soils, sun and wind exposure – combined with the work of the men who shaped them, revea- led their value and organized them into a qua- lity hierarchy, throughout their long history, which began in Roman times. PRESS CONTACT Association for the inscription of the Climats of Burgundy on the UNESCO World Heritage List Krystel LEPRESLE, Director [email protected] | port. +33 (0)6 08 11 34 95 Delphine MARTINEZ, Public and Press Relations [email protected] | Port. + 33 (0)6 31 42 13 50 12 Boulevard Bretonnière - 21200 BEAUNE – France Tél. + 33 (0)3 80 20 10 40 / Fax + 33 (0)3 80 25 04 90 TWITTER @ClimatsUNESCO FACEBOOK Association des Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne www.climats-bourgogne.com PRess Kit EDITORIAL p.4 UPDATE UNESCO APPLICATION: INSCRIPTION IN 2015 ? p.5 Join us in Bonn this July, for the World Heritage Committee session p.5 Post-Bonn ? Preservation and passing on p.7 THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE DOSSIER The CLIMATS of BURGUNDY, A CLASSIC MODEL OF TERROIR-baseD VITICULTURE p.8 An Outstanding Universal Value unique in the world p.8 The progressive construction of the Climats site : 2,000 years of history p.10 A very model of terroir-based viticulture p.13 An exceptional architectural heritage p.15 A vibrant repository of expertise and traditions p.16 Understanding the perimeter of the site nominated for inscription p.18 unPRECEDENTED MOBILIZATION AN entiRE teRRitoRY suppoRtinG the application p.20 A unifying project right from the very start p.20 Over 63 000 people have pledged support for the project p.21 A ongoing « territorial undertaking » p.23 An influential model in touch with the world p.25 EDitoRIAL Great news for Burgundy There are many sites and monuments which the international community regards as valuable elements of its collective heritage. Elements so precious, that their disappearance or deteriora- tion would surely constitute a loss to civilisation. It was therefore apparent that the area in and around the Côtes de Beaune and the Côtes de Nuits, together with the towns of Beaune and Dijon, should naturally be included on this prestigious List as it too is an area of Outstanding Universal Value. The inherent value here is embedded in the idea of terroir, which in Burgundy is expressed For this reason, the Ministries of Culture and through the "Climats". A Climat is a plot of vines, Ecology together with the French Ambassador to each with its own identity and a name often da- Unesco, strongly encouraged by the favorable re- ting back centuries. An identity which is partly port, have unanimously decided to maintain the cultural, developed over some 2,000 years of his- objective of obtaining World Heritage inclusion tory, and partly natural, on account of its soil and for the Climats de Bourgogne this July in Bonn. subsoil types, as well as its location, orientation The formidable challenge to obtain World Heri- and micro-climate. tage status for the Climats de Bourgogne site as a treasure for civilization has been an ambitious It has been 8 years since we embarked on this project indeed. We chose a broad perimeter for great project to support the Climats de Bourgogne the nominated site so as to reflect the identity candidature for World Heritage inscription. Our and complexity of the Climats de Bourgogne, a conviction, which is driven by a commitment to territory known worldwide for the exceptional protect and preserve this unique territory, quic- wines produced here but also its cultural heri- kly became contagious. It has won the hearts and tage, which has developed over the centuries. minds of the local population, including the wi- negrowers and elected representatives… and is Together with the relevant state services, local currently shared and supported by over 63,000 authorities and wine professsionals, we have people. already accomplished a significant amount of work aimed at protecting the site, which has been The past 8 years of work have brought to light the widely acknowledged. We shall continue to work unique, exceptional and universal identity of the on this in order to obtain the inscription. It is not Climats de Bourgogne. They have also enabled us surprising that a project of this scope has raised to prepare the necessary conditions for preser- questions. ving them. This task will primarily be carried out by our Am- ICOMOS has now issued a report which reco- bassador, Philippe Lalliot. We fully support him gnises the site’s Outstanding Universal Value, its just as we have proudly and vigorously suppor- authenticity, integrity and unique characteristics ted the project from the beginning. and its legitimate right to be eventually included in the World Heritage List. The advisory notice of We would like to thank everyone who, in the past adjournment which, let us be clear, is an opinion 8 years, has been involved in bringing the Climats’ and not a decision, is based on minor two points application to fruition - recognition of their OUV concerning the protection of elements which have – and we invite you to join us in Bonn from the no bearing on the Outstanding and Universal Va- 3rd-5th July. lue of the site. Aubert de Villaine, Guillaume d’Angerville, President of the Association Deputy President of the Association 4 UPDATE UNESCO application : inscRiption in 2015 ? The 39th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will be held from the 28th June to the 28th July 2015 at the Bonn International Conference Centre (WCCB ; loca- ted in the former Bundestag or federal parliament headquarters) in Germany. During this session, the World Heritage Committee will be reviewing the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the List and discussing requests for in- ternational assistance financed by the World Heritage Fund. The crucial moment for Burgundy will be between the 3rd and 5th of July 2015, when the Committee will re- view the current requests for the inscription of new sites on the World Heritage List. RENDEZ-VOUS in Bonn this JulY, foR the WORLD HERitaGE COMMittee session Among the 38 international applications to be examined, France will be presenting two dossiers: "The Climats de Bourgogne", in the "cultural sites" category, and "the Vineyard slopes, Houses and Cellars of Champagne" in the "cultural landscapes" category. The Climats de Bourgogne application dossier is due to be examined between the 3rd and the 5th of July 2015. The following 21 State parties will be present and taking part in the vote : Algeria, Ger- many, Columbia, Croatia, Finland, India, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebonan, Ma- laysia, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Serbia, Turkey, Vietnam. In the case of Burgundy, following the advisory notice of "referral” issued by ICOMOS, the 21 States can exercise their sovereign right to decide: • Either to convert the advisory referral into an inscription decision ; • Or to refer the application dossier so that the ICOMOS recommendations may be implemented. In this case, the site’s application will be re-submitted for re-exa- mination by the World Heritage Committee within a maximum period of 3 years. HOW ARE THE APPLICATIONS REVIEWED ? Each inscription request is usually examined according to the countries’ alphabetical order (which may vary at any time). Each country can present a maximum of two pro- perties/sites. An ICOMOS or IUCN representative presents a 5-minutes summary for each dossier, followed by his or her recommendation. The request is then submitted to the Committee members for decision. Questions are allowed. However, for the French application dossiers, the only person authorized to reply is Philippe Lalliot, France’s Ambassador to UNESCO. 5 LOOKinG bacK on the FOUR POSSIBLE DECISIONARY OUTCOMES OF evaluation PRoceDURE THe 21 mEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE: caRRieD out BY • Inscription of the property: the Committee reco- inteRnational EXpeRts gnises the OUV of the property and considers that all the conditions, and especially those of the site JANUARY 2014 management, have been met. The Climats dossier is selected by France to be officially sbmitted • Referall: the Committee recognises the OUV of the to the World Heritage Center for property but requests additional information. The appraisal. site’s dossier must be revised for re-examination by the World Heritage Committee within a maxi- IT shoulD BE noteD that mum period of 3 years. in JanuaRy 2012, the Climats Deferral for redrafting: the Committee recognises dossier had already been short- • listed by the French government, the OUV of the property but requests a review of together with the Chauvet Cave. the dossier’s positionning. This requires a redraf- That spring, both application ting of the dossier, which must then go through dossiers were subject to a request the international expert evaluation process again. for additional information, which There is no guaranteed set deadline for re-presen- postponed the official selection until 2013. In the meantime, in ting the dossier before the Committee. March 2013, UNESCO issued a • Non-inscription of the property: the Committee recommendation asking that from considers that the site does not possess an OUV now on the State parties retain and therefore cannot be included on the List.