Clairette du Languedoc

Clairette du Languedoc is a slightly more important (73-ha/180-acre in 2012) appellation than clairette de bellegarde, again exclusively from the Clairette grape. It is one of the named subappellations of the southern French languedoc aoc. Clairette du Languedoc has suffered an extremely confused image as, despite its relatively small production, a wide array of different wine styles has been produced, and is officially sanctioned, within the appellation. The wine can be anything from an ultra-modern, early-picked, yellowish green, dry wine for drinking almost before the end of the year in which it was harvested, to a deep brown rancio sweet, alcoholic vin de liqueur fortified just as fermentation has started. The area qualifying for this confused appellation lies to the north east of Pézenas. The Adissan and Cabrières co-operatives are the specialist producers.