The Wines of Corsica

Corsica is a stunningly beautiful island, the most mountainous in the Mediterranean. Politically French, deeply Italianate in geography and culture, it yet guards a fierce sense of special identity that registers in its wine. Related to the blends of southern France, and also to those of Tuscany and Liguria, excellent wines from Corsica are irreducible to either: their unique fragrance, and ability to convey relative palate-weight alongside vivid acidity, give them a character one can only describe as and ‘island quality’.

One of Corsica’s leading features is the maquis, a high-altitude, wild shrubland of incredible aromatic diversity. The herbs that thrive here – eucalyptus, juniper, myrtle, sage, thyme, rosemary, and many more – decisively inform the wines’ overt bouquet. Its entire land mass is tiny, only slightly larger than the state of Delaware, yet nearly half of this is dedicated to nature preserves.

Like so much of the Mediterranean, winegrowing in Corsica begins with the Phoenicians, who encountered the local population in the 6th century BC, introduced the grapevine (it is said), and inaugurated a long history of foreign domination. Between the 9th and 13th centuries AD, Corsica was a territory of Tuscany, then Pisa. (The Tuscan Sangiovese varietal was imported during this time. Known in Corsica as Niellucciu, it remains the island’s leading red grape.) The property of Genoa for the next 500 years, Corsica enjoyed a brief decade of independence before being purchased by France in 1769.

Corsica currently claims nine official appellations for wine, the oldest being Patrimonio (1968), along with an island-wide Vin de Pays designation, Ile de Beauté (‘Beautiful Island’). Alongside the aforementioned Niellucciu (Sangiovese), one finds here red and white varietals common to the south of France (Vermentino, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignane), and, importantly, a clutch of indigenous grapes whose further cultivation will determine Corsica’s future – these include Barbarossa, Brustiano, Rossola Bianca, Morescola, Carcajolo Nera, and most notably, the red Sciacarellu grape, one of the island’s most versatile. These are planted to schist in the north, limestone in Patrimonio, granite along the west coast and marly sand in the east. Most great wine, then, is to be found in Cap Corse (far north), Patrimonio, and heading south along the west coast through the capital of Ajaccio.

It’s famously difficult to encounter these wines outside of the island; even in mainland France, less than 200 kilometers away, very few have heard of (or tasted) the wines from Corsica’s leading estates. This is the first time in Chicago that Corsican wines have ever been presented together by the glass; we’re thrilled for the chance to offer the following flight for spring and early summer. Enjoy!

Domaine de Gioielli 2010 Blanc, Cap Corse$10 gls • $5 tst • $42 btl
This is the most complex and delicate white wine we’ve ever tasted from Corsica. All Vermentino, from a 4-hectare vineyard planted to schist with a touch of clay, it sings on the palate, evoking lavender, peach, honeysuckle, and juicy mandarin orange.

Antoine Arena 2010 Rosé, Patrimonio $15 gls • $7.50 tst • $66 btl
A blend of Niellucciu and Vermentino, this legendary rosé is very straightforward and crisp; deeply refreshing flavors of passionfruit and watermelon lead to a lovely, satisfying finish.

Maestracci 2008 Rouge, Corse Calvi $10 gls • $5 tst • $42 btl
This gorgeously lean-bodied red blend of Niellucciu, Grenache, Sciacarellu and Syrah spent a year each in oak and stainless steel; it shows sage and rosemary on the nose, and persimmon/black cherry on the palate.

Yves Leccia 2010 Rouge, VdP de l’Ile de Beauté $12 gls • $6 tst • $50 btl
Earthy & funky, this Grenache/Niellucciu blend begins with aromas of hazelnut and toffee; the mid-palate conveys flavors of ripe red raspberry, a dash of cumin, and sun-dried tomato; the dry finish is very persistent.

Corsican Wine Flight
a 2 ounce serving of each of the wines above
$23.50

Sommelier – Jeremy Quinn