CLEAR AS CLARIET

You may have encountered the term Claret and wondered what it is? After all, there is no grape variety called claret. The term can be traced back to medieval times and has evolved in its meaning through the centuries. However one thing is certain, it’s deeply rooted in Bordeaux.

The term Claret comes from Clairet which means clear, and Clairet is a French type of wine much loved in medieval times but  rarely seen in the modern era, in fact when Eleanor of Aquitaine’s married Henry Plantagenet of England in the 13th century. Eleanor brought with her a taste for these wines and very soon galleons were shipping loads across the Channel to satisfy the great English demand. So originally all Clarets were Clairets, any clearer?      

The Clariet is a peculiar dark rose and over time the English word Claret was used to describe Bordeaux wine that had been spiced, eventually the term Claret was used to describe any wine red wine from Bordeaux. So what is Clairet wine like? Well it is a deep dark rose colour, made from the same grapes as the reds of Bordeaux, the grape juice is left lie on the skins for at least two days if not more, rose wine just sits in the grape skins for a few hours. It is silky smooth, smells of ripe rich fruit and has a big fruit finish. If you would like to try some we have a batch in from Chateau Haut Maurin, a wine from the past well worth a taste. But the most important question is, do you like it as much as we do? Why not add yout review of this quentisencial Bordeaux wine.