In the great family of Vicky’s wines, you can find the Personal Collection. More confidential, it has two wines : the white beaujolais from château de Lavernette and the clairet of Régis Chaigne (Bordeaux region).
Contrary to the better range of Vicky’s wines, that gathers wines from my family and a selection with my community, I have chosen them for the very particular character of the wines and winemakers. Very committed to their appellation that should be better known, they are recognized for their spark of genius.
Clairet, what is this? A Bordeaux wine of a purplish red color, with a radiant raspberry glow. Often qualified of an in between pink and red, Régis classifies the wine with no question in the rosé clan. A pink wine yes, but noble, that you can see on a gastronomic table. One that is only possible in Bordeaux where its production is confidential compared to reds and even to whites. Consumption is local but the flamish or British love it. vicky’s Clairet is also very appreciated in Luxembourg !
Dark, it shines in the sun like a pink sapphire. En bouche, On the palate, it’s a dry wine, structured with generous angles, full of red berries : strawberry, raspberry, cherry. You can also find some spices and when it’s getting older, the fruit become more cooked and aromas become more complexes to give more room to spices.
It’s a wine that speaks to newcomers in wine but also to experts and besides its apparent simplicity, is not an easy one to make. In Régis’ Clairet ? A majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, a bit of merlot and sometimes a touch of Malbec. Dans le clairet de Régis ? Un majorité de cabernet sauvignon, un peu de merlot et parfois une touche de malbec. Grapes must be picked at maturity to avoid vegetal notes or candied fruits. Maceration lasts for four days, much more than a rosé (a few hours) and less than for a bordeaux red (3 to 4 weeks).
Régis lives in Entre-Deux-Mers where he also makes red white and rosé. Son jardin, souvent parsemé d’herbes hautes, accueille sa maison, les bureau et le chai. His garden of long grass hosts his house, his office and the cellar. There, you live simply without any fuss. In the summer time, clairet comes easily on picnic tables but we also like it with an exotic cuisine.
Isolated in this beautiful region that we little explore, Régis is also a very connected winemaker. It is thanks to social media that I have met him, he has been to the Vinocamps I co-organize for 5 years now. Events that gather the wine professional from all categories around communication themes. On Twitter and now Snapchat or Periscope, he spreads his love for Clairet!
False friends but cousins : Clairet is to differentiate from “claret”, a light red wine from Bordeaux sold at the beginning of the century in England.
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