Clairette Blanche Makes its Debut
Planted to just over 1,230 hectares, AOP Gigondas devotes a scant 16 hectares to white varieties such as Clairette Blanche, which is the starring grape in the region’s newly approved white wines.
These expressions must either be made with a single variety or feature Clairette as at least 70% of a blend alongside white grapes traditionally grown in the appellation— Bourboulenc, Clairette Rose, Grenache, Marsanne, Piquepoul, and Roussanne—with Viognier and Ugni Blanc limited to just 5% of the total.
Gigondas joins Languedoc’s oldest white-wine AOP, Clairette du Languedoc, established in 1948, and Clairette de Bellegarde, a tiny Southern Rhône AOP in the Costières de Nîmes, in showcasing
Clairette, which often serves as the base in Southern Rhône and Languedoc blends. Typically high in alcohol and low in acidity with the tendency to oxidize, the grape is also the preferred base for vermouth.
Altitude lends elegance to Gigondas
Situated at the base and on the slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail foothills, Gigondas has some vineyards that reach elevations of over 400 meters. The altitude, Mediterranean climate, and mistral winds create conditions considered ideal for winegrowing, while the high percentage of limestone in the soils is credited with preserving acidity and lending elegance to the wines.
However, climate change is creating problems for Syrah: Rising temperatures and drought during the growing season are increasing alcohol, driving down acidity, and diminishing the variety’s characteristic peppery notes.
With the newly approved AOP, winegrowers now have an increased incentive to plant more Clairette. Many of the region’s top producers can be found within walking distance from the center of the village of Gigondas against the ever-present backdrop of the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Domaine La Bouïssière’s terraced hillside vineyard, La Grande Bouïssière, faces northwest and rises from 300 to 500 feet; it’s the
source for a fresh and textured 2023 Gigondas Blanc that includes just 2% Grenache Blanc.
During a recent stay at Domaine de Piéblanc—which is located 2 kilometers west of the village and is home to 6 hectares of Gigondas Blanc grapes—I walked to nearby Château de Saint Cosme; the producer has released a 2023 monovarietal Clairette, the Hominis Fides Gigondas Blanc, that shows delicate typicity and the finesse of its oldest vineyard, which has shallow sandy and limestone soils.
Just steps away is Domaine du Pesquier, which is releasing its first white wine, a 2023 Gigondas Blanc made with 10% Piquepoul for some added freshness. The approval of a Gigondas white wine didn’t happen overnight. According to its website, the AOP began talks with the Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité in 2011 and conducted experiments until it settled on Clairette in 2018. Approval was granted in 2022 for the 2023 vintage wines, which are just beginning to appear on the market.
My host at Domaine de Piéblanc was winemaker Matthieu Ponson who established the winery in 2014 and began welcoming visitors at a new cellar in May 2022.
The winery farms two impeccable, higher altitude vineyards: 10 hectares in AOC Ventoux terraced across an ampitheater that sits at the foot of the Mont Ventoux and 15 hectares of AOC Beaumes de Venise vines a few kilometers away in Suzette. Six hectares of AOC Gigondas vines and 7 hectares of AOC Côtes-du-Rhône vines surround the winery.
Ponson converted his total combined hectares under vine to organic production and the winery’s 2020 vintage is certified organic with the « AB » label (organic agriculture). In addition to wine, the estate has hundreds of olive trees and produces oil.
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