Bordeaux Claret “is a consumer-led wine. We have spent too much time listening to middlemen and not enough to the end consumer”

ordeaux’s light, fruity red wine – Claret – now has its own production specifications and the first bottles are hitting the shelves. Bordeaux winegrower Stéphane Defraine invited his customers to come try the new wine before the appellation’s official release at Wine Paris.

“This is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Malbec. The fruit was picked by machine on 8 September. I aimed for 12% ABV to preserve the fresh fruit aromas. Refrigerated skin-contact maceration lasted for four days. The winemaking process took place entirely in tanks, with no oak. The wine was racked twice then bottled at the end of January”, explains the grower at Château de Fontenille.

The end wine has a total acquired alcohol level of 12.7%, with no residual sugar. On the palate, it delivers its fruit-driven promise. It will retail for €8.50 to private customers and 10,000 bottles will be shipped to French wine merchants, but also to the British and American markets. The property exports 65% of its wines.

“This is a consumer-led wine. It’s what we’re currently doing in Bordeaux. We have spent too much time listening to middlemen and not enough to the end consumer. But that’s over now. And this type of product aligns with a style of consumer. They might view it as a first approach before gravitating towards more structured wines”, feels Defraine.