🍷 Clarete
Also known as: Bierzo clarete
A Spanish wine type; in the DOP Bierzo specification, clarete is made from 40% to 60% red grapes, the rest white.
Clarete is a Spanish wine type. It is one of the wine types in the product specification of the Spanish protected designation of origin (DOP) Bierzo, alongside white (blanco), rosé (rosado) and red (tinto) wine.
The specification says clarete is made in the traditional way of the Bierzo. The share of authorised red grapes must be between 40% and 60%, and the rest must be white grapes of any authorised variety. The must is made by direct pressing or after a period of pre-fermentation maceration, and the grapes are then pressed. During alcoholic fermentation, 5% to 10% of destemmed skins of white or red varieties, calculated on the total volume of must, must be used.
The analytical limits for clarete in the same specification are: total and acquired alcoholic strength at least 12% vol.; total sugars at most 5 g/l; total acidity at least 4.5 g/l as tartaric acid; volatile acidity at most 0.8 g/l as acetic acid; total sulphur dioxide at most 150 mg/l.
The specification describes the wine as clean, with a colour from pale pink to ruby red and a very low to medium colour depth. It names aromas of red and/or black fruit and/or violet flowers, and a fresh palate of medium to high persistence and medium to high body.
These rules apply to wines of the DOP Bierzo.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Clarete → made in → 🗺️ Spanish wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍷 Rosé
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Spanish wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Rosé, 🍷 Red wine, 🏷️ DOCa / DOQ
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that clarete is just another word for rosado?
No. The Bierzo specification lists clarete as a wine type of its own, next to blanco, rosado and tinto.
What limits apply to sulphur dioxide and acidity in clarete?
Total sulphur dioxide at most 150 mg/l, total acidity at least 4.5 g/l as tartaric acid and volatile acidity at most 0.8 g/l as acetic acid.
What role do the skins play in making clarete?
During alcoholic fermentation, 5% to 10% of destemmed skins of white or red varieties must be used, calculated on the total volume of must.
What to read next
- 🍷 Red wine — Wine from dark grapes that ferments with the skins and takes its colour from them.
- 🏷️ DOCa / DOQ — Spanish traditional term for a PDO wine from a denomination that meets extra requirements beyond the ordinary denominación de origen.
Similar
🍷 Blush wine · 🍷 Saignée rosé · 🍷 Blended rosé · 🍷 Vin gris · 🍷 Chiaretto · 🍷 Cerasuolo
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.