The Hauts de Carco parcel, planted on seemingly impossibly steep, solid rock, has solidified the Arena family’s reputation as masters of Vermentinu (and, at the time of planting, solidified their reputation among locals as having lost their minds). The only thing crazy here, though, is just how good this wine truly is—complex and generous, yet mineral and tight and delicate all at once.

All the elements align here for the quintessential “happy wine”: a joyous label, a lightness that’s fun and festive, and hints of a Mediterranean summer vacation. How do they make it so light yet so full of character? The secret is in the cofermentation of Niellucciu and Grenache, with just a six-day infusion of the grapes in the juice with no extraction, and a short six-month élevage in tank, to keep it all fresh and jubilant.

Tourists come from around the world to see Bonifacio, a town unlike any other, built on a cliff that juts out above the Mediterranean, leaving a high, empty space between its foundations and the sea. This walled-in village, once in conflict with the population around it, lived isolated from the rest of Corsica—an island within an island, if you will. It developed its own dialect (Bunifazzinu, still spoken by a few inhabitants), culture, architecture, and agriculture. Vineyards were planted on the limestone cliffs around the community and later abandoned. Yves Canarelli realized a lifelong dream (sognu) in 2010 when he finally acquired the rights to replant these deserted parcels with the rare varieties they grew in centuries past. A velvety texture, vibrant acidity, with herbal and fruit notes I’ve never experienced before, add magic and mystery to this historical cuvée, as unique and intriguing as the old town itself.