2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
A timeless favorite that somehow keeps getting more delicious each release. Only grapes from the estate’s oldest vines—all from the E Prove plateau—find their way into this cuvée. A slow fermentation is followed by more than a year in cask and another in bottle before this rouge hits the seas for our shores. The long process tames the meaty and chewy tannins, opens the structure, and removes any hard edges, letting loads of red fruit and maquis shine.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 35% Niellucciu, 35% Grenache, 15% Sciacarellu, 15% Syrah |
Appellation: | Calvi |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Domaine Maestracci |
Winemaker: | Camille-Anaïs Raoust |
Vineyard: | 25 - 40 years |
Soil: | Clay, Sand, on Granite |
Aging: | Wine is raised for one year in stainless steel and then one year in foudre or French oak barrels, wine is aged in bottle for 6 months to a year |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica | Calvi
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica | Calvi
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica | Calvi
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica | Patrimonio
High in the foothills of Monte Grossu mountain lies the granite plateau of Reginu, an area long known for U Vinu di E Prove–the wine of the Prove. The plateau has been used for vine and olive growing for centuries. In 1945, when the owner of an olive pressing operation packed up his mill, Roger Maestracci saw a golden opportunity and moved in. Within a few years the domaine had established a firm reputation in the area. Roger passed along the reins to his son-in-law, Michel Raoust, who has since handed over the winery to his daughter, Camille-Anaïs. She allows the red at least two years in large oak casks, while the white is bottled young to maintain the freshness of the terroir. These are quintessential Mediterranean food wines.
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 Giudicelli France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica | Île de Beauté
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—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