Notify me
2017 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena

You won’t confuse this stunning dessert wine with Muscat from Alsace, Beaumes-de-Venise, or anywhere else: its ravishing perfume of miel du maquis, wildflowers, and resinous herbs could come only from Corsica. We always keep a few vintages stocked in the Lynch cellar, since they age well and are a great way to start or end any meal. My favorite pairing is a bowl of delicate fresh ricotta—the closest we can get to Corsica’s brocciu—drizzled with raw honey.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Muscat à Petit Grains |
Appellation: | Muscat du Cap Corse |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Antoine Arena |
Winemaker: | Antoine Arena |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1982, 1992, 1995, 1 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 16% |
More from this Producer or Region

2019 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
France | Corsica
A vibrant tonic akin to a savory brew of muddled stone, wild herbs, and salty sea air.

2014 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
France | Corsica
A vibrant tonic akin to a savory brew of muddled stone, wild herbs, and salty sea air.

2019 Patrimonio Blanc “Carco”
France | Corsica
Limestone, sea breeze, and wildflowers: welcome to Patrimonio.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Fruité Sauvage”
France | Corsica
From a tiny mill in Corsica’s eastern mountains, Douce is soft and tender; Sauvage is wildly peppery and herbaceous.

2017 Patrimonio Rosé
France | Corsica
Just when I think I’ve seen it all, this wine comes along and surprises me! It’s not a typical rosé, nor is it a typical light red wine. Instead, it occupies a wonderful space between the two!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Fruité Douce”
France | Corsica
From a tiny mill in Corsica’s eastern mountains, Douce is soft and tender; Sauvage is wildly peppery and herbaceous.

2013 Vin de France Blanc “Cuvée Kermit Lynch”
France | Corsica
Bianco Gentile and Vermentinu work so well together in this cuvée we have to wonder if this was the way things were done back in the day.

2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
France | Corsica
Ravishing perfume of miel du maquis, wildflowers, and resinous herbs.

2020 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
France | Corsica
A beautiful example of Biancu Gentile, an heirloom white grape revived from near-extinction by Arena in the 1990s.
About The Producer
Antoine Arena
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.
More from Corsica or France
2022 Patrimonio Rosé “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2022 Corse Calvi Rouge “Les Marottes d’Anaïs”
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica
2020 Île de Beauté Rouge
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Ministre Impérial”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2018 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2016 Vin de France Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Fruité Douce”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2021 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2017 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Rosé “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2022 Corse Calvi Rouge “Les Marottes d’Anaïs”
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica
2020 Île de Beauté Rouge
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Ministre Impérial”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2018 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2016 Vin de France Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Fruité Douce”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2021 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2017 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174