A distant heir to the famous French claret, dear to the British of the 17th century, clairet is a Bordeaux specialty that is somewhere between rosé wine and red wine.
However, in the 2000s, this wine became the ugly duckling of the Bordeaux vineyard. At a time when Bordeaux wine was only understood in terms of powerful and majestic Grand Cru, there was no longer any room for this supple and round wine, sometimes sensual, often exploding with fresh red fruits. It must also be admitted that a good part of the production fell into a certain mediocrity which precipitated its fall.
At the mere mention of clairet, the majority of catering professionals pinch themselves or disapprove of their country.
Fresh fruity Bordeaux!
However, upon closer inspection, this wine contains many qualities that are highly prized in our time. Consumer studies show us at length that demand is moving towards fruity, fresh, digestible, supple wines, with as little tannin as possible.
Wouldn’t these qualities be precisely those of a good clairet? Of course they are! We tasted 50 clarets from 49 producers plus a few rosé UFOs (Unidentified Wine Objects). A handful emerged that we highly recommend. They will brighten up your summer meals, brighten up your winter meals and cheer your heart all year long.
Our selections are:
Chateau Landereau
This clairet has everything you would expect from this wine: freshness and liveliness. The nose summons notes suggesting very pretty white stone fruits veiled by intense expressions of crushed strawberries. The palate built around fresh fruits is of the same ilk. The finish invites very elegant bitters to further enhance the juice. Enjoy at 8,5 €
Clairet Chateau Penin
A beautifully fresh nose dominated by notes of redcurrants and strawberries. The vinous palate is dynamic and tangy at 8,3€.
Bouches Baies Chateau HAUT-GRELOT
The energetic and spicy nose is magnificently dominated by notes evoking orange peel. The juicy palate is carried by a juice mixed with expressions relating to fresh summer fruits. An irreproachable 100% Cabernet Franc at 8,5€
À LA FRAICHE, PAULINE LAPIERRE WINES
Nose of macerated fruits with a heady, almost southern touch. The fleshy and very vinous mouth evokes a light red wine, which is what a claret is in the best of cases! Enjoy at 7€
CAVE DE QUINSAC
The chef’s surprise! A claret from Cave Coop with a nose full of notes of fresh redcurrant, enhanced by refreshing vegetal expressions. A mouth of red fruits, barely jammy. A nice grain.
CHÂTEAU CAJUS
The clairet de Cajus is a safe bet, a signature wine of the house. As beautiful as it is good in the glass. We like its pleasantly vinous nose mixed with its elegant aromas of peony and fresh raspberry for just 9,5€ !
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