Clairette blanche
Clairette is one of the oldest grape varieties in the south of France. It is typically Mediterranean. Sometimes vinified alone, as in AOC Clairette de Bellegarde, it can also be blended with other grape varieties, bringing freshness, lightness, and bitter notes providing complexity and balance on the palate. It is the main grape variety of appellations such as Gigondas or Crémant de Die.
Informations
Origin: South of France (Hérault likely)
Location within the Rhône Valley: Southern Rhône Valley and Diois
Soils: Clairette can adapt to limestone soils, to dry and low-fertility terroirs.
Plantings within the Rhône Valley AOCs: More than 1 200 hectares
In the vineyards
Ampelography: The top of the leaf is dark green, with an almost blue tinge on the teeth, but white and very hairy on its underside.
Bunch and berries: Medium-sized clusters and berries, milky white in color after veraison then golden when ripe.
Maturity: Late-ripening
Characteristics: Vigorous grape variety, that can even be suited to late-harvest, but sensitive to downy mildew.
Terroir: Well-suited to poor, hot areas
In the cellars
Characteristics: Clairette produces wines with good aromatic finesse, with notes of fennel, apple, lime blossom, apricot and peach. It is a highly versatile grape variety, sometimes dubbed a "terroir sponge", with different maturities giving different types of wines. Styles can be still or sparkling, single-varietal or blend, but also dry wines as well as sweet wines, and aromatic wines to be enjoyed young or structured and complex wines for aging.
Wine styles: Still or sparkling, dry or sweet white wines
Fun facts
Clairette comes from "clair", meaning light-colored. Clairette berries are milky white after veraison, but that is not where the name alledgedly comes from, as many other grape varieties have pale white berries. It is more likely that it was named Clairette due to the color of the underside of its leaves, covered with white hairs.