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2018 Vin de France Rouge “Ministre Impérial”

Domaine Comte Abbatucci
Discount Eligible $98.00
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On my first visit to Abbatucci, instead of a glass and a taste, I was treated to a stack of papers, each one covered in a swirl of crystals. This crystallization is a decades-old biodynamic technique of heating a few drops of wine with copper sulfate on a special paper, which then “reads” the energy and intensity of each wine. It was (and still is) a bit Greek to me, but I can tell you that the Ministre crystals were off the chart, and Abbatucci was beaming with pride. All you’ll need, though, to feel this unbridled energy in the wine, is a corkscrew.

Chris Santini


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 22% Sciacarellu, 18% Niellucciu, 15% Carcajolu-Neru, 15% Montaneccia, 12% Morescono, 10% Morescola, 8% Aleatico
Country: France
Region: Corsica
Producer: Domaine Comte Abbatucci
Winemaker: Jean-Charles Abbatucci
Vineyard: Planted from 1960-1962, 2 ha
Soil: Granite
Aging: Aged in older 600-L demi-muids
Farming: Biodynamic (certified)
Alcohol: 14%

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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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Kermit Lynch pulling wine out of a cellar.

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Inspiring Thirst, page 211