Walls’ 12: a taste of Clairette wines around the world
1 Jean-Claude Raspail & Fils, Crémant de Die Cuvée Brut, Rhône, France NV 91
raspail.com
Red apple, pear, quince and fennel notes alongside blossom and a touch of tarragon. Dry, with mouthfilling fizz and fruit, with some length of finish. Fuller-bodied and riper than most Crémants de Die. Handharvested, riddled and disgorged by freezing, no filtration. Organic. Drink 2022-2024 Alcohol 12.5%
Poulet & Fils, Crémant de Die Brut, Rhône, France NV 89
£10.95 The Wine Society This has a more interesting nose than most Crémants de Die, with subtle woody spice and a silky roundness on the palate. Some subtle aniseed notes bring complexity to the red apple and quince fruit. Refreshing fennel freshness, fennel bitters. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 12.5%
2 Famille Isabel Ferrando, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2021 97
£80 Millésima
A discreet reductive note brings a flinty edge to the florals. Disarmingly lovely on the palate. Very well balanced, with all the beauty of Clairette – the floral characters, the freshness, the acidity, and the silkiness. Fermented in glass spheres and old foudres. Organic. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.5%
Raymond Usseglio, Pure Clairette, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2021 96
domaine-usseglio-pierre.com
This really captures those Clairette florals; it's very pretty and pure. Full-bodied, but feels fresh and full of life. Finishes featherlight. Very precise, it captures the lightness of the grape, and is very true to the variety. From a parcel in lieu-dit Bois Seneseau, north-facing sandy soils. Biodynamic. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14%
Château de Vaudieu,
Les Clairette de Gabriel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2019 95
famillebrechet.com
Intense, toasty, oak-like grilled bread and burnt lime aromas. Its full, rich texture is balanced with intensity of flavour and salinity. Retains its freshness and varietal character, creating a bombastic style of oaked Clairette. Old vines planted on limestone. Drink 2022-2035 Alc 14%
La Bastide Saint Dominique, Chapelle, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2020 95
bastide-st-dominique.com
Orange blossom and pear on the nose, along with macadamia and blond tobacco from the discreet oak. This has breadth, but there is also a light touch on your tongue. The acidity gently buzzes to the surface. From vines on sandy soils and galets roulés in lieux-dit Pignan and St-Georges. Organic. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 14%
3 Château de Saint Cosme, Le Poste, Côtes du Rhône, France 2020 94
£33.33 (ib, 2019) Divine Fine Wines
Beautiful honeysuckle florality, amazing sense of freshness despite the lack of strong aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, the oak sits in the background, and there’s a firm, orderly finish. Has a gentle mineral line and a real sense of purity. Dry but not austere. Organic. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 12.5%
Château Pesquié, Cuvée Juliette Ventoux, Rhône, France 2021 93
chateaupesquie.com
Chalk dust, lime powder, aniseed, intense florals, too. Oak is discreet. Full-bodied with firm acidity at its core. Quite austere now, but should loosen a little in time. A very good example of fresh, tense Ventoux Clairette. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13%
4 Tablas Creek, Clairette Blanche, Paso Robles, California, USA 2021 93
tablascreek.com
Full, rounded, with nut butter hints behind the pear and fennel. Very well balanced, a fluent expression with detail and precision. Acidity is mild, it’s a ripe style with freshness from bright florals. Expert winemaking on display. Organic. Drink 2022-2027 Alc 12.5%
5 Daschbosch, Avon, Breedekloof, South Africa 2021 92
£21.49 (2020) All About Wine, Drinkmonger, Kwoff Blossomy florals, lovely amplitude on the palate, remarkably zingy acidity. Green apple flavour and apple-skin tannin. Sits in the Clairette stylistic middle ground, neither full nor light. A welcome new grape to the South African palette. Drink 2022-2027 Alc 13.5%
Gérard Bertrand, Art de Vivre, Clairette de Languedoc Adissan, Languedoc, France 2019 92
£17.60 Vinatis†
Unusual opaque ceramic bottle. Intense on the nose, with citrus peels, pineapple and guava. Full-bodied, off-dry; the balance is good, it has enjoyable texture and confit honeyed fruit. A gift to imaginative sommeliers. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13.5%
6 Radford Dale, Thirst, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2020 90
radforddale.com
Reductive, Riesling-like nose. Light, fresh, high-acid style of Clairette. A little texture too, a nip of tannin and some tightening bitters. Not complex, but has good cut and varietal character. Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13%