Bœuf de Charolles

Bœuf de Charolles is a French PDO covering fresh beef produced exclusively from Charolais breed animals — heifers, cows, and bullocks meeting defined minimum ages and carcase weights — raised and finished within a delimited zone in Saône-et-Loire. The meat is bright red and finely marbled, with a fine to normal texture and a lingering juiciness described in the specification.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-FR-0873, with EU protection dated 7 April 2011, Bœuf de Charolles (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014291) covers fresh beef and offal of class 1.1. Only animals of the Charolais breed are eligible: heifers aged at least 28 months, cows aged at least eight years, and bullocks aged at least 30 months. Minimum carcase weights are 320 kg for heifers and 360 kg for cows and bullocks. Carcase conformation must fall between grades R and E on the EUROP grid, and internal and external fat cover must be classed between 2+ and 3+. Carcase ultimate pH must be less than or equal to 5.8. The meat must be chilled and may not be frozen or deep-frozen. During the rearing stage, animals must graze for at least 200 days of the year. The overall average annual stocking rate on holdings must be less than or equal to 1.8 livestock units per hectare of utilised agricultural area, with a maximum stocking density of 2 livestock units per hectare. During the fattening stage, animals must graze the fattening pastures — known locally as prés d'embouche — for a minimum of 30 consecutive days. No fermented feed of any kind may be included in the cattle feed. Hay used during winter must be sourced exclusively from the geographical area. Synthetic fertilisers may not be used on the fattening pastures.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 7 April 2011 under file number PDO-FR-0873; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014291.
• Only Charolais breed animals are eligible; no other breed may carry the designation.
• Carcase ultimate pH must be less than or equal to 5.8; no fermented feed of any kind is permitted in the cattle diet.
• Animals must graze for at least 200 days of the year during the rearing stage and a minimum of 30 consecutive days on the fattening pastures.

Tasting notes

Burgundian beef from Charolais breed (Saône-et-Loire-Allier-Loire), AOP since 2010 — the only AOP beef in France. Bright cherry-red lean meat with white-cream marbling, characteristic Charolais texture (firm-but-yielding, well-marbled), intensely flavored with sweet-savory beefy character — France's most prestigious beef appellation.

HoReCa use

**Premium steakhouse beef** — entrecôte, faux-filet, filet, côte de bœuf for-two; aged dry for 21-45 days; centerpiece of Charolais-Burgundian dégustation; pairs with Pommard, Volnay, Côte de Beaune.

Packaging

• carcass-side-150-200kg
• primal-cuts-vacuum-various
• faux-filet-1-2kg
• entrecôte-300-400g
• filet-200-300g
• côte-de-bœuf-1-1.5kg
• dry-aged-pavé-200-300g