2021 SancerreDaniel Chotard
France | Loire
$39
Producers
Thanks to a long tradition of curing and smoking upheld by small-scale artisans in the mountains, plus a unique breed of pigs known as porcu nustrale, Corsican charcuterie is among the most delicious you’ll taste anywhere. The animals feed primarily off chestnuts and acorns found in the undergrowth of Corsica’s forests, yielding salumi of a mouthwatering salty, smoky complexity with mind-blowing depth of rich, buttery flavor. This fragrant red from the island’s south echoes the earthy, meaty complexity found in chewy cuts of coppa, lonzu, prisuttu, or figatellu that inevitably surface toward the end of a tasting at Clos Canarelli. It also takes well to anything off the grill.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 80% Niellucciu, 15% Syrah, 5% Sciaccarellu |
Appellation: | Corse Figari |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Clos Canarelli |
Winemaker: | Yves Canarelli |
Vineyard: | 13.25 ha |
Soil: | Granite |
Aging: | Fermented and vinified in large foudres for 14 to 18 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Clos Canarelli 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.
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Giudicelli France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Vin de France
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Patrimonio
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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