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2021 Vin de France Rouge “San Giovanni”

Antoine-Marie Arena
Discount Eligible $48.00
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Here’s something fun that was missing from the family’s stable: a silky, easy guzzler that gets just a five-day maceration in tank (shorter than many Beaujolais Nouveaux!) and then six months in tank before bottling. Imagine the drinkability of a Beaujolais with the herbs and aromatics of the Corsican landscape.

Chris Santini


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2021
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 50% Morescone, 50% Carcagholu Nero
Country: France
Region: Corsica
Producer: Antoine-Marie Arena
Vineyard: Planted in 1997
Soil: Clay, limestone
Farming: Organic (certified)
Alcohol: 12.5%

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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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Inspiring Thirst

A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!

Inspiring Thirst, page 117