TN: An Odd Clairette de Languedoc

[jrufusj]

• 1999 Clos Sainte-Pauline Clairette du Languedoc Sus Castel - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Clairette du Languedoc (8/15/2006)
  Presented to me blind as something to sip on while I browsed one of my favorite wine shops. The proprietor is good about showing me interesting things and trying to trick me. This is a deep yellow, heading to gold color with a bit of visible richness. One whiff of the nose and I’m immediately thinking mature Loire chenin blanc (slight but pleasant oxidation, sweet baking apples, some lanolin). I could not have been more wrong, and that was evident as soon as I took the first sip. Rich and round in the mouth, balanced but without the vibrant acidity I would have expected from Loire chenin. Fruit on the palate is more ripe apple, macerated white grapes, a little melon. Persistent finish shows peach and almond. Made predominantly from grenache blanc in an intentionally oxidative style, it was enjoyable as a novelty but I’m having a hard time imagining how I would match it with food. Also having a hard time imagining how they were allowed to use the "Clairette" appellation, given composition.
  

Posted from CellarTracker

[wkl]

i drink a wine from southwest france that carries the "clairette" designation. it's between a rose and red in terms of color and body. i believe the skins are left in contact with the juice longer than rose but not long enough to be a full red wine.

the wine you refer to is obviously not rose, but they could be refering to how the wine is made and not the composition of teh grapes.

just a guess.......