Clairette

Clairette is a late-ripening white grape rooted in Provence and the wider Mediterranean south of France. Its range is broader than its name might suggest: regional sources document still and sparkling wines, dry and sweet styles, single-varietal bottlings and blends. Picking maturity matters. Plantgrape describes wines that can be relatively low in acidity and fairly alcoholic, while Inter Rhône highlights a versatile aromatic profile from apple and fennel to apricot, peach and lime blossom. Clairette de Bellegarde offers a particularly clear regional expression, but “Clairette” can also be a confusing local name for other grapes, so the appellation and cultivar identity matter.

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