Why lighter, chilled Claret is causing a stir
Bet on Claret – but the Brit fave is changing
Wine has a habit of making things more complicated than they need to be.
The terminology, the labelling, the annoying communicators warbling on about “mouthfeel” and describing perfectly enjoyable bottles as tasting of “tar”, “tennis balls” and that Sauvignon Blanc classic “cat’s pee”. (Sorry about that).
Now, the French have made it confusing again… but only for us Brits.
For the last few hundred years we have called the red wine from Bordeaux “Claret”. As far as I know, we are the only country to have done this.
The new Claret
Back in Medieval times the word “clairet” in French meant ‘clear’ or ‘light-coloured’ and the wines of the region were historically much lighter than what we associate with Bordeaux today. They would have been almost more akin to a dark rosé.
We English loved the wines, anglicised the word to “claret” and started using it as a generic term for all red wines from Bordeaux as, over the centuries, they became richer, darker and more structured. Berry Bros & Rudd, the historic wine merchant from the 1600s, even do a bottle labelled “Good Ordinary Claret” (£13.95) which has been a safe bet for Uncles at Christmas since the 1970s.
Now however, that has all changed.
Earlier this year the Bordeaux authorities launched an official classification of “Claret” and it isn’t the robust, age-worthy reds you might be expecting. The French have reclaimed the word from medieval times, as you could argue is their right, and these wines are fruit-forward, lighter, lower in alcohol and designed to be served lightly chilled.
How to tell the difference?
Essentially, they have adapted to the popular demand for more quaffable, easy-going wines as well as the call for more moderate booze and the trend for chilled reds (see last week’s column). Given the region’s falling popularity with younger consumers, it just makes sense to give the people what they want. Especially as this approach harks back to the area’s wine-style roots.
However, this has had the British wine industry in uproar, with merchants worried that people will buy a bottle labelled ‘claret’ expecting something full-bodied and serious to pair with dinner and end up with something more like a jolly Beaujolais.
Personally, I love a jolly Beaujolais, but I take their point that there are going to be a few disgruntled shoppers for the foreseeable future.
So, how to tell the difference on the bottle? The new style will be labelled “Appellation Bordeaux Claret Contrôlée” or “AOC Bordeaux Claret”, will likely have an abv of 12.5% or lower, tying into the trend for lower alcohol wines, be of the vintage 2025 or later and if it says “serve chilled” that is a massive clue. Chin-chin!