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BORDEAUX CLAIRET: THE ORIGIN

Does "French Claret" mean something to you? This Bordeaux rosé is made with red grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon , and is one of the first wines to be exported into England. Bordeaux Clairet is in fact a descendant of French Claret. This wine was already a popular drink in the Middle Ages. A very light red with the expressive aromas of fresh red fruits, which rapidly won over merchants, travellers and artists alike. The English were particularly fond of it! A song was even composed in honour of this rosé of character: "When I drink Clairet wine".

Food to serve with Bordeaux Clairet

The volume on the palate, together with the tannic structure of this rosé, make it perfect for serving with a wide variety of foods. Provençal and Mediterranean cuisine, packed with sun kissed vegetables, are a marvellous accompaniment for Bordeaux Clairet. A nice glass of Bordeaux Clairet can be a fantastic companion for the summer season, so don’t hesitate to enjoy one with your barbecue. Its qualities as a very light red mean it also pairs well with really aromatic foods, and even spicy dishes, such as tagines.

HOW IS ROSÉ MADE?

Rosé made by maceration

Rosés made by maceration are made from red-skinned grapes, which are placed in a vat before fermentation begins. The grapes release their flesh, skin and pips, and of course, juice. It is during this short period of vatting, which ranges from 2 hours to 24, that the juice takes on the colours and the aromas from the solid particles of the grapes. This stage is what gives the wine its pink colour. The maceration time will depend entirely on the oenologist, according to the style and colour he or she wishes to obtain. Once this stage is complete, the juice is pressed to separate the must from the solid particles. Vinification continues with low-temperature fermentation to preserve as much of the aroma as possible.

Rosé made by pressing

In the same way as for white wine, the grapes are pressed immediately after harvesting. Since the must is quickly separated from the skins, the colour of this rosé is a very light, pale pink. It can range from almost white to a salmon pink. Pressed rosé wines are very popular and respond to a certain demand for increasingly pale rosés. These are wines made to be drunk young and are not suitable for ageing.

Rosé de saignée (bled rosé)

This technique is not unlike the one used to make rosé by maceration. Newly harvested red-skinned grapes are placed in a vat so that they can impregnate the juice with their colours and aromas. This harvest is initially intended to make red wine. Some of the juice is taken out of the vat after a few hours. This is what we call “la saignée” (bleeding). The part that is poured off already has a pink colour, which can be more or less deep, depending on the style and colour required by the oenologist. It is then vinified separately to become a rosé wine This method is much used in the red winegrowing regions, as well as in Bordeaux and in the Southern Rhône. This is also the case of Tavel AOC. Rosé de saignée wines can be identified by their particularly deep - almost red - colour, as well as for their structure on the palate - just like rosé wines made by maceration, they have a certain tannic structure. You might have guessed it by now, Bordeaux Clairet is a rosé de saignée!

Blended rosé

What this name says, this technique involves blending wines - red and white. Only a small amount of red wine - around 5% - is needed to obtain a pink colour. Although this technique is widespread in various winegrowing regions throughout the world, it is banned in most EU countries. It is still a controversial technique. Its use for still wines in Europe only affects very few regions. A well-known appellation that uses this technique is AOC Champagne, which blends white and red wine together to create a pink Champagne. This only occurs for a few vintages in Champagne.