Your intrepid liquor reporter was binge-watching the final season of Downton Abbey over the weekend, and noticed that the only type of wine that the Lords and Ladies above stairs were drinking with dinner was Claret.
Claret isn’t a term we really hear anymore, but back in those heady days at the height of the British Empire, Claret was the term used for the finest wines of Bordeaux.
The word claret comes from the Latin word for clear, which you may think sounds entirely unlike the lush and full red wines that Bordeaux is known for today.
However, when the term Claret first came to use in the 12th century, the wines of Bordeaux were predominantly clear rosé wines, making claret a reasonable name.
At the time, the vineyards of Bordeaux were part of the Kingdom of Aquitaine, which came under English rule in 1151. Those were happy times for the vineyards of Bordeaux, as the English appetite for wine was seemingly unquenchable.
Unfortunately, a little skirmish between England and France known as the Hundred Years War broke out in 1337, and by the time the dust settled in 1453, Bordeaux was firmly ensconced in France, where it has remained ever since.
The Hundred Years War was not a boon to the French wine industry, as they were locked out not only of the lucrative English market, but also the entire British Empire, which comprised much of the wine-drinking world at that time.
The Portuguese winemakers didn’t complain, and quickly stepped in to fill the glasses and barrels of the English merchants.
The English and French eventually kissed and made up, much to the delight of the French vineyards, who once more had access to the lucrative British markets.
However, due to changing market pressures Bordeaux wines had become primarily deep and lush reds by the 1700’s, so the pale rosé wines that were the inspiration for the name Claret were no more.
Today, Claret is a term with only historical significance, as the original meaning has been obscured due to the ongoing evolution of wine production techniques and consumer preferences.
In essence, Claret is a blend of the finest grapes of Bordeaux, which include Cab Sauv, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cab Franc, and Malbec.
These are the same grapes that have been planted all over the world, as winemakers try to match their vineyard production with the fickle tastes of the consumer market. Fortunately, the Bordeaux grape varietals seem to be in constant demand
The few Claret wines on the market today are mostly out of California, and are aimed at the upper half of the mid-tier price band, so expect to pay $25 – $40 per bottle, pretty much the same as you would pay for a quality Bordeaux blend from France.
As you might expect, a Claret wine will have the same flavour and aroma characteristics of a Bordeaux blend, or a Meritage.
For those who don’t keep track of all the different wine designations, Meritage is a new-world name for a wine made from Bordeaux grapes, that tastes like a Bordeaux wine, is priced like a Bordeaux wine, but is not grown in Bordeaux.
In other words, Meritage is a marketing label that means “just like Bordeaux”, and Claret is aimed at exactly the same market segment.
Expect Cab Sauv to be the dominant wine in a Claret blend, providing backbone and a firm tannins, with Cab Franc and Malbec being used to soften the mouth feel.
At least two years in oak barrels adds hints of vanilla and leather, and maybe even a dash of Petit Verdot added just before bottling, to add delicate aromas of violet on the nose.
The term Claret fell out of common usage in 1930s, and is only rarely seen today, mostly by new-world winemakers putting a gimmick on their labels to move bottles.
One of the first modern winemakers to produce a Claret was Francis Ford Coppola, the genius filmmaker behind The Godfather series, who also owns a winery in Sonoma County, just outside of San Francisco.
You can find the Francis Coppola Diamond Claret for around $27 at well-stocked booze merchants in Alberta, including the Sobeys and No Frills Liquor in Chestermere.
Pick up a Claret today and you’ll feel like you are back in the 1920s. All you will need to go with it is a flapper dress and some smooth jazz!
