Deep in the hills of Corsica, near the isolated village of Zicavo, lies a house unlike any I’ve ever known. Built and fortified six hundred years ago, handed down over seventeen generations through a single family of nobles, the house has survived Corsica’s darkest and most turbulent days. It has held at bay Barbary pirate raids, columns of invading Genovese soldiers, and feuding rival Corsican families, and it serves as a monument and gathering point for the Abbatucci family, whose bonds remain strong to this day. Entering the main room of the house, you can see what seventeen generations look like on a family tree, as a tapestry ten feet tall traces the lineage from 1450 to today. And what a family it is, each generation peppered with its share of diplomats, high counsels, government ministers, and top military brass.
         Today the Abbatuccis are less concerned with international affairs and have taken a weather eye to the vast swath of land they own and manage in this neck of the woods of Corsica: vineyards, pasture for native Saïnata cows, sheep, horses, brush and forest, and even a small restaurant, all managed biodynamically with a negative carbon footprint. While much of Corsica faces growing pressure to develop and pour concrete over pristine land, no one dares encroach on the Abbatuccis’ turf. It’s probably safe to say that their holdings will remain unspoiled for another seventeen generations.
         From the heart of this land and the heart of this family come truly special cuvées, their best vineyard parcels, with the oldest native varietals, vinified in small batches with great care and attention. The 2016 Général de la Révolution, an homage to an ancestor whose military maneuvers from a few centuries ago are still studied by the French army, is an aristocratic, rich, focused white with grand notes of beurre blanc and a pure, crystalline finish. Its red counterpart, the 2016 Ministre Impérial, is dark and smoky, with exotic herbs and spice, and carries the same regal air as the Général. My personal favorite, the 2016 Monte Bianco, is perhaps the subtlest, most soft-spoken of the bunch, but if you listen carefully... Wow! This red wine (don’t be fooled by the name!) is from a younger planting of Sciaccarellu on an impossibly steep, desolate slope, with several weeks of skin maceration. It is so light to the touch, so soft and aromatic, so unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted from the island—or anywhere else, for that matter. A one-of-a-kind Corsican wonder.