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Grape variety : Clairette

100 % Clairette

100 % Clairette

Domaine Roman Vallée du Rhône
€10.80
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CAIRANNE Rosé

CAIRANNE Rosé

Domaine Clos Romane Vallée du Rhône
€14.10
Cairanne Blanc

Cairanne Blanc

Domaine Clos Romane Vallée du Rhône
€19.50
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Chemin de Ronde 2023

Chemin de Ronde 2023

Domaine Prés Lasses Languedoc Roussillon
€18.00
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  • Without So2
Côtes du Rhône

Côtes du Rhône

Château de Verone Vallée du Rhône
€10.90
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Clairette: Origins and Distinctive Features of This Unique Grape

Clairette, an ancient and captivating white grape, has a long history rooted in the wine regions of southern France. Valued for its ability to produce white wines that are dry, sweet, or sparkling alike, this variety offers a subtle, complex aromatic range. Its adaptability and resilience make it a flagship grape of many southern appellations. Follow this guide to explore the world of Clairette through its origins, its favored terroirs, its aromatic characteristics, and its best food pairings.

Clairette at a glance

  • Color: white grape
  • Origin: Languedoc / Hérault; a very old variety dating to Roman times
  • Regions: Languedoc (Clairette du Languedoc, Clairette de Bellegarde), the Rhône (Côtes du Rhône, white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clairette de Die) and Provence (Bandol, Bellet, Cassis)
  • Profile: white flowers, white-fleshed fruits (peach, apple), citrus
  • Serving temperature: 6 to 8 °C (sparkling), 8 to 10 °C
  • Cellaring: best enjoyed young

Description and Origins of Clairette

Clairette is a grape with very ancient origins, probably appearing in the Hérault region as early as Roman times. This white grape is known for its ability to adapt to the hot climates of southern France. Historically used to produce still and sparkling wines, as well as the famous Clairette de Die, Clairette is valued for its floral and sometimes musky notes, along with its freshness on the palate. Clairette is often used in blends alongside other Mediterranean or Rhône white grapes to add complexity and depth to the white wines produced in its regions.

The Main Terroirs Where Clairette Is Grown

Clairette thrives on several terroirs in southern France, where it is widely used in the white wine blends of the Rhône Valley, Provence, and the Languedoc. In the Rhône Valley, Clairette features in the making of the white wines of the Clairette de Bellegarde AOC and the Côtes du Rhône, where it is often blended with other varieties to enrich their aromatic bouquet. Clairette is also the emblematic white grape of the Die vineyard, where it is the soul of Clairette de Die, a sparkling wine made using the ancestral method. In Provence, Clairette plays a key role in many appellations, from Bellet to Bandol by way of Cassis. Its presence in Languedoc-Roussillon rounds out the picture, producing dry and sweet white wines.

The Aromatic Characteristics of Clairette

Clairette’s character in a dry white wine:

Appearance: Clairette generally shows a pale yellow color, often with green highlights.

Nose: On the nose, Clairette expresses delicate aromas of white flowers, white-fleshed fruits (peach, apple), and citrus, with a touch of aromatic herbs (anise, linden).

Palate: the dry white wine made from Clairette offers low acidity and a tender, delicate palate.

Clairette’s character in a sweet white wine:

Appearance: The color of the sweet wine is deeper, tending toward gold.

Nose: It gives off richer, more complex aromas, including notes of honey, dried apricot, candied fruit, and even rancio.

Palate: The texture is unctuous and generous, with a sweetness well balanced by the grape’s natural acidity, offering a lovely length on the palate.

Clairette’s character in a sparkling white wine:

Appearance: The fine bubbles add a visual dimension to the often pale, bright color.

Nose: The aromas are heightened by the carbonation, with notes of yellow fruits, anise, and brioche, thanks to the secondary fermentation.

Palate: The effervescence brings a crispness to the palate that enlivens the wine’s fruity and floral flavors, making these sparkling white wines especially enjoyable as an aperitif or alongside light dishes.

The Best Food Pairings with Clairette

Follow all our tips for creating the best food pairings with a bottle of dry, sweet, or sparkling white wine made from Clairette:

  • To pair with an asparagus or truffle risotto, turn to a dry Rhône white made from Clairette by an estate in the Côtes du Rhône or Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. These appellations offer tender, warm white wines that reveal delicate notes of white flowers, peach, and anise, perfect for enhancing all your indulgent risotto recipes.
  • For a Mediterranean pairing with a grilled sea bass fillet, opt for a sure bet with a dry white from Provence by an estate or château in the Côtes de Provence or Bandol AOC. With their lovely freshness, natural salinity, and notes of peach, hawthorn, and citrus, they go wonderfully with saltwater fish dishes.
  • With a Roquefort and walnut tart, let yourself be tempted by a bottle of white wine from an estate or château in the Clairette du Languedoc AOC. This appellation produces both dry white wines and sweet wines with rancio notes, both of which pair admirably with blue-veined cheeses.

Would you like to (re)discover Clairette through the finest appellations in France? At Avenue des Vins, we offer a wide selection of wines sourced directly from the estate or château of your choice. In our online shop, all our bottles are available for home delivery and at the best value for money!

Clairette de Die and sparkling wines

In the Drôme, at the heart of the Diois, Clairette gives rise to a sparkling wine, Clairette de Die. This wine relies on what is called the ancestral method, or Diois method: a single fermentation, begun in the tank and finished in the bottle, which naturally traps the carbon dioxide without any added liqueur. The result is fine bubbles, a moderate alcohol level, and a light sweetness.

This tender style is best enjoyed well chilled. Alongside it, Crémant de Die offers a drier reading of the same terroir, made using the traditional method, with Clairette in the leading role. These two appellations show that the grape is not limited to still wines and that it ranks among the signatures of the South’s sparkling wines.

Clairette in the whites and blends of the South

Clairette does not only play leading roles: it is also a sought-after blending partner. Its roundness, floral fragrance, and fennel notes bring suppleness to the South’s white wines, softening their body without weighing them down. It is found among the white grapes permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it rounds out the blend of the Rhône Valley whites.

The grape also lends its name to appellations dedicated to it. The Clairette du Languedoc vinifies it as a single-varietal wine, from dry to sweet, as does Clairette de Bellegarde, in the Gard. These terroirs offer the chance to taste Clairette on its own, where blending most often melds it into a whole.

Serving and storing a Clairette wine

Clairette’s low acidity calls for serving it fairly cool, to awaken its fruit and floral notes. Count on about 8 to 10 °C for a dry white, and 6 to 8 °C for a sparkling Clairette de Die, whether as an aperitif or with dessert. Served too cold, it closes down its delicate aromas of white flowers, apple, and fennel.

As for cellaring, Clairette is best enjoyed young. The dry whites and the sparkling wines are drunk within their first few years, while their aromatic freshness remains intact; the sweeter versions, richer, can wait a little in the cellar. Store the bottles lying down, away from light and heat, at a stable temperature.

Frequently asked questions about Clairette

Does Clairette produce dry, sweet, or sparkling wines?

All three. Clairette comes in dry white, sweet white, and sparkling form with Clairette de Die. It is this versatility that explains its presence in many appellations of southern France.

What is Clairette de Die?

It is the sparkling wine of the Diois, in the Drôme, south of the Rhône Valley. Clairette is vinified there using the ancestral method, which gives it fine bubbles, a low alcohol level, and a slightly sweet palate. It is served well chilled, often as an aperitif or with a lightly sweetened dessert.

Does Clairette go into white Châteauneuf-du-Pape?

Yes, it is among the white grapes allowed in the appellation. Clairette does not always play the leading role there, but its roundness and white-flower fragrance enrich the blend of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Should Clairette wines be drunk young?

Generally, yes. Clairette’s dry whites and sparkling wines are enjoyed in their youth, when their freshness and floral notes are at their liveliest. The sweeter cuvées, more concentrated, keep a little longer.