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2017 Île de Beauté Rouge

Yves Leccia
Discount Eligible $29.00
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Chances are you know Grenache primarily from the southern Rhône: the reds of Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Beaumes-de-Venise, etc. But this grape also plays a central part in many of the red blends from Corsica, often mixed with Niellucciu—Sangiovese’s Corsican twin—to yield wines that are excitingly distinct from those of the Rhône Valley. This rouge, for example, made up of 80% Grenache and 20% Niellucciu, is sunnier, a little more exuberant, and has a little more muscle than its relatives from the mainland, which are more often some variation of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre blends. Dip your nose into your glass and you might think it’s going to be a summertime quaffer. Once you take a sip, however, the salty, stony structure tells you you’re dealing with a serious wine that will be on an upward trajectory for another five years. Notes of black cherries, crushed raspberries, and a slight hint of black olive are accompanied by a grippy texture, asserting its untamed Corsican spirit.

Tom Wolf


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2017
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 80% Grenache 20% Niellucciu
Appellation: Patrimonio
Country: France
Region: Corsica
Producer: Yves Leccia
Winemaker: Yves Leccia
Vineyard: 20 to 40 years, 7.1 ha
Soil: Clay, Limestone, Schist
Aging: All red grapes are de-stemmed, then placed in stainless steel cuves for 12 to 15 days with daily pump-overs, then aged for 12 months
Farming: Lutte Raisonnée
Alcohol: 13.5%

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About The Region

Corsica

map of 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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Inspiring Thirst

I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. 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.

Inspiring Thirst, page 171