2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
The term riacquistu refers to a Corsican national pride movement that originated in the 1970s, encompassing factions as diverse as a renewed emphasis on the Corsican language, the creation of militant nationalist groups, and the return of Corsican emigrants to their homeland. It marked a turning point not just in Corsican culture but also in Corsican wine, as vignerons began to show a newfound appreciation for the island’s terroirs and native grape varieties.
Yves Canarelli’s Costa Nera, one of the only bottlings of pure Carcaghjolu Neru, could be considered a direct descendant of this island-wide reckoning. This nearly extinct heirloom cépage creates a deeply colored, stately red intensely perfumed of graphite, menthol, spices, and iron. Regally structured with a backbone of densely packed, yet incredibly silky tannins, this rare red stands level with top bottlings from Cornas, Bandol, and southern Italy.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Carcaghjolu Neru |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Clos Canarelli |
Vineyard: | 1 ha, Planted in 2007 |
Soil: | Granite |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Vin de France
Clos Canarelli France | 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.
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Antoine Arena France | Corsica | Muscat du Cap Corse
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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