Clairette du Languedoc is an appellation of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It covers white wines produced exclusively from Clairette grapes.
Stylistically speaking, there is remarkable variation in wines made under the appellation, making it tricky to describe the overall style. They range from light, crisp and fresh-scented to rich, reddish-brown sweet rancio styles. Those labeled as rancio are aged for three years before release to market. The appellation is unusual in France for its diversity – an example of the fact that the appellation system's founding principle is the preservation and protection of individual wine styles.
The vineyards growing grapes for this appellation cover just under 250 acres (100ha), divided unequally between the 11 parishes which are permitted to make these wines. Fewer than 20 producers are involved, with seven of them being co-operatives. With the modernization of the Languedoc region's wine production – and the drive for greater efficiency across the French wine industry as a whole – the Clairette du Languedoc appellation is currently under close scrutiny.
Adissan, Aspiran, Cabrieres, Ceyras, Fontes, Le Bosc, Lieuran-Cabrieres, Nizas, Paulhan, Peret and Saint-Andre-de-Sagonis are the parishes which may produce Clairette du Languedoc wines and add their names to the appellation title. They are located just west of Montpellier, at the eastern edge of the Montagne Noire hills.
The grapes here are not grown at particularly high altitudes, with the highest of the vineyards, in Cabrieres and Le Bosc, lying at a maximum of 820ft (250m). The most-favored sites are in the slightly cooler mesoclimates of the local hillsides. The hottest vineyards are around Paulhan, planted along the banks of the Herault river on the coastal plains which run gently down towards the Mediterranean Sea 12 miles (20km) away.
The climate is definitively Mediterranean, with slightly cooler nights bringing down the average temperature in the higher areas around Cabrieres and Le Bosc. This considered to be of benefit to the wines, which develop more-complex flavor profiles as a result of extended hang-time and increased diurnal temperature variation.
