Just a few miles inland from Corsica’s southwestern coast, surrounded by craggy granite cliffs, lush woodlands, and olive groves, Jean-Charles Abbatucci’s land is replete with fragrant shrubs and animals roaming among the vines. Jean-Charles took over his family’s domaine in the early ’90s from his father, a botanist specializing in grapevines, who spent his time traveling to remote corners of Corsica in search of native varieties to salvage and propagate. Immersed in this education from a young age, Jean-Charles learned the value of preserving the island’s heirloom grapes, about how they are best adapted to the climate, and how older vines and their deep root structures help to maintain a healthy vineyard.
     Named after his daughter, Faustine, Abbatucci’s Rosé is brimming with maquis, the equivalent of mainland France’s garrigue–think myrtle, immortelle, heather, and rockrose. Made from mostly Sciaccarellu grown in solid granite just a twenty minute drive from the Mediterranean Sea, his grapes are infused with seaspray and stone, and the resulting rosé boasts a glistening, sunkissed quality, loaded with sour cherry and pomelo citrus. 
     Jean-Charles’ motto, referring to his holistic approach to winemaking, points to the extra work and patience required to achieve great wines of place: take ten steps towards nature, and she’ll take one step towards you. Those odds might deter a less devoted vigneron, but Jean-Charles remains unfazed, and utterly enthusiastic. He calls the practice of reviving ancient, biodynamic farming techniques “historical viticulture,” and uses it to harness the heritage of l'Île de beauté in his wines. Historical, yes, and a touch heroic, too.