CLAIRETTE DE DIE

Clairette de Die AOC

The sparkling style of Muscat. Located in the southern Rhône Valley, more precisely in the Drôme Valley, the Clairette-de-Die vineyard expresses itself through four AOCs including still wines in white, red and rosé, as well as two AOCs of sparkling wines. The AOC Clairette-de-Die, a fresh, sweet, fruity and low alcohol sparkling wine, alone represents 90% of the vineyard's volumes. The grape varieties used in the production of this sparkling nectar are Clairette and Muscat Blanc à petits grains. Perched at an altitude of 700 meters, the Clairette-de-Die vineyard is one of the highest in France! Taste it in its youth, as an aperitif or with dessert and why not even in cocktails!

clairette de die AOC BESTSELLERS

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CLAIRETTE GRAPE VARIETY

FLAGSHIP DOMAINES

SHALL WE TASTE
In the Glass

SPARKLING WHITE

A sparkling wine, soft and fruity.

Eye : Pale gold dress with light green reflections. The very fine bubbles form a delicate foam.

Nose : Expression of the Muscat grape variety thanks to the fresh scent of the grape. The aromatic richness is composed of floral notes reminiscent of rose, honeysuckle or rosehip, citrus notes, lemon and a scent of honey. There are also aromas of white stone fruits such as peach or apricot, as well as those of exotic fruits such as mango, passion fruit or lychee.

NB : Clairette-de-die is not a wine for ageing. Beyond two years, the fresh fruit aromas are transformed into notes of dried fruit, not very pleasant for such an appellation..

Mouth : Sweet and fresh, sometimes combined with exotic fruit aromas. The lightness and sweetness result from a portion of unfermented sugar in the wine. The Clairette grape variety brings finesse, acidity, as well as a touch of minerality at the end of the mouth sometimes reminiscent of tea.

FOOD / WINE PAIRING
Clairette de Die and food

SPARKLING WHITE

Clairette-de-die works wonders on fruit-based desserts. The Clairette grape variety reminds us of the crunchiness of the fruit and is perfect for a lemon cake, an apple, strawberry or pear pie, a lemon curd pie, a sorbet or a fresh fruit salad. It is also a perfect accompaniment to a mango scallop salad!

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Interesting things to know about Clairette-de- Die

The legend of Clairette-de-Die

Two thousand years ago, Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, was already mentioning Clairette de die in his writings. He spoke of this wine as a nectar well appreciated by the Voconces, ancestors of the Diois. He recounts that this Gallic people would have left jars of wine in the river for a whole winter, only to rediscover them in the spring. The surprise was to discover a sweet, fine and... sparkling wine.

Two methods of production

Traditional method :

The traditional method or champenoise method, contains two phases of fermentation: the first is done in vats and the second in the bottle. Only the Clairette grape variety is used in this first method.

Ancestral method :

An original method, unique in France, whose successive sequence of natural fermentation phases leads to effervescence. Fermentation in vats is incomplete, and thus ends in the bottle. This last fermentation stops naturally when the degree of alcohol reaches between 7 and 9 degrees. The ideal method for the expression of the Muscat grape variety, the latter must make up at least 75% of the blend.

It was in 1910 that the State recognized for the very first time the specificities of Clairette de die. In 1942 Clairette-de-die was officially recognized by the INAO and granted its AOC. The ancestral dioise method, so unique, was recognized in 1971.