Presenting the Saint-Nectaire AOC

The Saint-Nectaire region is located in the centre of France, in the northern and wettest part of the Massif Central, on the slopes of the volcanic mountains of the Auvergne, to the south-west of Clermont-Ferrand. In the Cantal department, the milk is most often made into Fourme du Cantal. But the south-west part of the Puy-de-Dôme department, with volcanic soils, is mainly dedicated to making Saint-Nectaire.

The climate in the area is quite harsh. Western prevailing winds bring a lot of wet weather on the western slopes of the volcanic mountain, less on the eastern side. The summits have a harsh climate only suited to grassland.

The Saint-Nectaire zone covers an area of about 1,900 km² with limits that were established by law on 1 December 1955; the commune of Les Champs was added to it on 20 February 1960.

The Saint-Nectaire AOC area is one of the smallest in France, if not in Europe. It overlaps the Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal departments and is situated around the Sancy Massif, extending into Artense and Cézallier.

It comprises:

In the south-west of Puy-de-Dôme: • The cantons of Besse and La Tour • 4 communes in the canton of Tauves • 6 communes in the canton of Rochefort • 7 communes in the canton of Champeix • 11 communes in the canton of Ardes • 5 communes in the canton of Saint-Amant

in the north of the department of Cantal : • The canton of Champs • The canton of Condat • 6 communes in the canton of Allanche (including Allanche)

This area covers 183,021 hectares. Apart from small spa towns such as La Bourboule and Le Mont Dore, it is an exclusively rural area. It is made up of 6 different rural areas.

:: Map of the appellation area for Saint-Nectaire cheese ::

Out of 72 communes :

• 44 are in the mountain area, including 24 in the Dômes, 13 in the Cézallier and 7 in the agricultural area of Cantal.
• 27 are in the semi-mountain area, including 12 in the Artense, and 15 in the periphery of the Dômes.
• The 72nd, Montaigut-le-Blanc, belongs to the Champeix canton and three quarters of its territory extend over the Limagne plain. It is included in the Saint-Nectaire area because one of its hamlets produces farmhouse Saint-Nectaire: Reignat, to the south-west of the communal area, in the semi-mountainous zone.
  

The mountain is at least 750 metres high and volcanic soils dominate. Agricultural areas are devoted to pasture and forage crops.

In semi-mountainous areas, the scarce ploughed land is used to produce forage crops. The climate is nearly as wet as in the mountain areas. The areas at the periphery of the “dômes” are drier with very uneven terrain. The only economic factor contributing to the social unity and cohesion in the area is the transformation of cows milk into Saint-Nectaire cheese.

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