Château Clamens Winery

The Clamens family began making wine in 1868 at their chateau estate near Toulouse, France. Today, winemaker Jean Michel Begue runs the Château vineyards and winery. A mixture of heat-retaining sandy loam and clay soil, a beautifully balanced climate boasting more than 2,000 hours of sunshine a year, and a dedication to environmentally-responsible farming techniques, produces wines of superb quality. 

The Négrette grape thrives in this unique terrioir. When poured, aromas of fresh, ripe fruit delight the nose. The palate is complex, driven by flavors of black current and blackberry, opening into soft tastes of violet and a hint of liquorice. 

Château Clamens was recently certified with France's prestigious Farm with High Environmental Value (HEV). This certification is awarded to farms that voluntarily utilize environmentally-friendly practices associated with biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertilizer use and management of water. 

Négrette is a black grape variety that grows and thrives in the Fronton region of France. This is the grape from which the unique and lovely flavors of most of the Château Clamens wines are derived. 

Local legends weave the tale that the grape's supposed origins are in Cyprus, and it transported to the Fronton region by Knights of Hospitallers of the order of St. John of Jerusalem (Knights Templar). History and research on grape varieties seem to suggest that the grape actually originated along the Tarn River in Southwest France, perhaps derived from vines of the Marvo varietal brought over from Cyprus. 

Regardless of whether Négrette heralded from France or was brought from afar, it is undeniable that it has thrived in the rich soil along the Tarn. 

The vines are finicky and tend to be susceptible to fungal disease, so the wine growers in the region put a great deal of care and effort into maintaining their crops. But the wine yielded from these dark, luscious fruits is worth the trouble. Both reds and rosés blended from the Négrette grape tend to be full-bodied and age moderately well, boasting aromas of black fruits, like blackberries and currants, and red fruits, violets, liquorice, with a peppery finish.