Farewell Claret welcome back Clairet. That’s the new “in-thing” for Bordeaux producers reeling from the sharp decline in red wine sales.
The Times reports that some Bordeaux vineyards are seeking to revive the medieval reds beloved of the English after Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II in 1152. The fresh, clear-coloured reds, known as clairet, did not need to age for years before being drunk.
According to The Times historians say the trend lasted for almost three centuries before England’s defeat in the 100 Years’ War coincided with a fashion for darker, heavier wines.
The current revival of the old style is a response to a crisis caused by a 38 per cent fall in red wine sales in France over the past five years. At least 15 per cent of Bordeaux’s vineyards have been abandoned or given over to other crops since 2019
The Vins to Bordeaux website describes the heir to the first wines produced in the region as having a deeper pink colour than a rosé. It is more vinous than rosés and more thirst-quenching than reds, especially when enjoyed at the right temperature (11°C). With intense aromas of red fruits drawn from traditional grape varieties, it is distinguished by a hint of tannins that make it more structured and vinous, more fleshy and full-bodied than rosé.
