2021 SancerreDaniel Chotard
France | Loire
$39
Producers
Just as Burgundian Chardonnay is known for being sensitive to the nuances of place, Vermentinu yields notably different wines between—and within—the appellations of Corsica. In the granite hills above the capital city of Ajaccio, white wines are among the island’s most delicate, typically featuring gentle floral suggestions and a charming peachiness. Born halfway between mountains and the sea, Jean-Charles Abbatucci’s biodynamically grown Vermentinu also presents a whisper of salinity, making it a lovely apéritif or the ideal match to Mediterranean-inspired antipasti.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Vermentinu |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Domaine Comte Abbatucci |
Winemaker: | Jean-Charles Abbatucci |
Vineyard: | 40 years |
Soil: | Granite |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
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.
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Antoine Arena France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica | Calvi
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
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
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa