Notify me
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
Antoine Arena
An early resistant to the wave of chemical farming and technological winemaking that swept across France decades ago, Antoine Arena inadvertently became a pioneer of what is now known as the natural wine movement. But his legacy will truly be cemented as an ardent defender of the Corsican identity, as expressed through the lens of the Patrimonio appellation and its great terroirs.
While he has passed on most of his vineyard holdings to his two sons, he still vinifies a few cuvées each year with as much passion and dedication as ever. This bottling of 100% Niellucciu showcases the dark, flaky schist, known locally as marticciu, that is found around the winery. Antoine’s less-is-more approach in the cellar yields a vibrant tonic akin to a savory brew of muddled stone, wild herbs, and salty sea air. To experience the best this island has to offer, this bottling from the godfather of Corsican terroir-driven winemaking is not a bad place to start.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Niellucciu |
Appellation: | Patrimonio |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Antoine Arena |
Vineyard: | Planted in 2001, 2 ha |
Soil: | Schist |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Cuvée Sarah”
France | Corsica
This white, raised in demi-muids with malolactic fermentation, flamboyantly shows off the affinity of ripe Vermentinu grapes with a judicious use of wood.

2021 Corse Figari Blanc “Amphora”
France | Corsica
It has a purity and seamlessness—no angles or edges—and a feeling of weightlessness despite its broad, full-bodied, golden flesh.

2023 Vin de Corse “Le Rosé de Pauline”
France | Corsica
Delicate, ethereal aroma—gently floral. Rose water, citrus zest, blood orange. Round and airy on the palate. Bright, clean, pure. Crisp finish.

2020 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
France | Corsica
If you’re like me, a glass of Corsican Muscatellu sparks visions of evening cheese plates laden with Marcona almonds and gemlike fruits.

2020 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Azezzu”
France | Corsica
Not quite Rhône-like and not quite Corsican, this has the best of both worlds, with plenty of palate-staining black fruit to boot.

2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani” MAGNUM
France | Corsica
A gentle wave of peach, melon, and spring flowers rolls over the palate and lingers long past your last sip.

2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Carco”
France | Corsica
Limestone, sea breeze, and wildflowers: welcome to Patrimonio.

2022 Corse Figari Rouge
France | Corsica
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.

2021 Île de Beauté Biancu Gentile “L’Altru Biancu”
France | Corsica
It is the up-and-coming white Corsican grape, rapidly winning back the reputation it had earned so long ago.

2018 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
France | Corsica
Rich, exotic, and appealing—a monument to the grandeur of the forgotten Corsican varietals.
About The Producer
Antoine Arena
About The Region
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.
More from Corsica or France
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “Mémoria”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Blanc “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Rouge “Costa Nera”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani” MAGNUM
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Cuntentu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse “Le Rosé de Pauline”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “Mémoria”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Blanc “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Rouge “Costa Nera”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani” MAGNUM
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Cuntentu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse “Le Rosé de Pauline”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
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