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2015 Patrimonio Rouge “Cru Des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti
Now is a good time to pay close attention to Corsican reds. The island’s rosés and whites need no further introduction, as they have shown remarkably consistent quality for the last several vintages. At times, however, Corsican reds have veered toward plummy and overripe—which is not surprising, given that temps in the summer can regularly top a hundred for several days straight. Regardless of the heat, one trend I’ve noticed these past few years is our growers’ increasing ability to harness the elements that can counter the sun and limit overripeness. All of our Corsican producers, for example, live close to the sea and their vines lie under a constant sea breeze, which many consider to have cleansing powers that ward off disease and allow grapes to stay cool.
Domaine Giacometti brings freshness to their reds through radically different vinification methods. Gone are the days of extraction. The domaine now speaks of “infusion,” coaxing flavor and spice from the grapes by gently soaking them in their juice, more along the lines of making tea than wine. Their Patrimonio rouge is deceptively light and fluid, so leave it some time in the glass to experience all the subtleties they’ve teased out of the grapes.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 97% Niellucciu, 3% Grenache |
Appellation: | Patrimonio |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Domaine Giacometti |
Winemaker: | Christian Giacometti |
Vineyard: | 10 to 45 years, 35 ha total |
Soil: | Clay, Granite |
Aging: | Aged for 10 months on fine lees in stainless steel tank |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Production: | 7,500 cases |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
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About The Producer
Domaine Giacometti
About The Region
Corsica
I first set foot on the island in 1980. I remember looking down from the airplane window seeing alpine forest and lakes and thinking, uh oh, I got on the wrong plane. Then suddenly I was looking down into the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean. Corsica is a small, impossibly tall island, the tail of the Alp chain rising out of the blue sea.—Kermit Lynch
Kermit’s first trip to the island proved fruitful, with his discovery of Clos Nicrosi’s Vermentino. More than thirty years later, the love affair with Corsica has only grown as we now import wines from ten domaines that cover the north, south, east, and west of what the French affectionately refer to as l’Île de Beauté.
Corsica is currently experiencing somewhat of a renaissance—interest has never been higher in the wines and much of this is due to growers focusing on indigenous and historical grapes found on the island. Niellucciu, Sciarcarellu, and Vermentinu are widely planted but it is now common to find bottlings of Biancu Gentile and Carcaghjolu Neru as well as blends with native varieties like Rossola Bianca, Minustellu, or Montaneccia.
As Kermit described above, Corsica has a strikingly mountainous landscape. The granite peaks top out above 9,000 feet. The terroir is predominantly granite with the exception of the Patrimonio appellation in the north, which has limestone, clay, and schist soils.The wines, much like their southern French counterparts make for great pairings with the local charcuterie, often made from Nustrale, the native wild boar, as well as Brocciu, the Corsican goats milk cheese that is best served within 48 hours of it being made.
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.