Clairette de Die

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical area lies to the south-east of Valence, bounded to the north by the high cliffs of the Vercors and the Glandasse plateau, to the south by the Saou mountain, and to the west by the Rhône depression.
• At the heart of the mountains, the valleys of the Bez and the Drôme open out, formed of broad alluvial plains draining a series of basins separated by narrows that alternate with wide combes such as those of Die and Vercheny.
• The climate is marked by Mediterranean influences, tempered by the proximity of the mountain relief, across a vineyard planted on the slopes overlooking the Drôme valley.
• The foothills display rocks of Cretaceous origin, alternating between marls and argillaceous limestones, while the country upstream of Saillans is formed by a Jurassic-age anticlinorium hollowed out by erosion.
• The erosion of the limestone crust dating from the Upper Jurassic has created great limestone ridges that dominate the landscape, while the marls derived from secondary-period marine fossiliferous sediments make up the famous terres noires of the Diois.
• Quaternary-age deposits complete the range of soils with the fluvial terraces of the Drôme and the Gervanne, alluvial fans, and calcareous scree, producing a heterogeneous structure.

• Pliny the Elder mentions in the first century a sweet wine (vinum dulce) and a sparkling wine (aigleucos) whose fermentation was arrested by plunging the jars into cold water until winter.
• The appellation of origin was delimited by the decree of 21 April 1910 across 41 communes, before being recognised as an appellation d'origine contrôlée by the decree of 30 December 1942.
• Growers sought out the best aspects on the ridges (serres) or on elevated terraces reaching up to 700 metres altitude at Châtillon-en-Diois, forming a mountain vineyard.
• The decree of 25 May 1971 distinguishes sparkling wines produced by the méthode dioise, derived mainly from partially fermented Muscat à petits grains musts, from those produced by a second fermentation from a base wine made essentially from Clairette.

• The méthode ancestrale wines, which account for 88% of production in the Diois, are made predominantly from Muscat à petits grains, complemented by Clairette, with fermentation slowed and then arrested by cold; the partially fermented must is then bottled, where it continues fermenting for at least four months.
• This wine is highly aromatic, dominated by primary aromas but also displaying more complex notes of citrus, honey, flowers, and lychee, with a low actual alcoholic strength of 7% to 9%, ranging from sweet to off-dry, and lightly sparkling.
• The appearance of these wines is generally pale yellow with green highlights, and they are characterised by very fine bubbles of moderate persistence.
• The wines produced by second fermentation in bottle are made exclusively from the Clairette variety, and after nine months the bottles are disgorged before a dosage liqueur is added.

• The terres noires soils — schistose marls or calc-schists — form the favoured terroir for Muscat à petits grains, where it develops richness, structure, and aromatic intensity.
• On the stonier soils of the Quaternary terraces, alluvial fans, and scree, Clairette sits at the climatic limit of ripeness, which endows it with acidity and aromatic finesse.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 9 décembre 2024, JORF 11 décembre 2024
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Inter Rhône