Notify me
2022 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani”
Domaine de MarquilianiYou don’t need to pronounce it. All you need is a corkscrew and a wineglass. I discovered this marvel the final day of last summer’s visit to Corsica, right before flying to Marseille. I’d heard of a restaurant, La Flotta, up at the base of the imposing Monte Grosso. The paved road turned to dirt then narrowed to a car’s width. Tossin’ and a-turnin’, wondering where in the . . . and then, like finding an oasis in the desert, Gail and I reached a lone little restaurant under the looming granite peak. Cows grazed the parking lot.
The sommelier was a treat. We discussed the great domaines: Arena, Leccia, Nicrosi, Abbatucci—then she insisted we try a new wine, a young woman’s first release, a rosé: “You’d better try it today because our staff has almost drunk it all up. We didn’t even put it on our wine list,” she said.
She poured one of the most memorable wines I’ve tasted—no, not complex and grandiose. Not powerful and earthshaking. No, au contraire. Here’s a rosé that is almost weightless. Perfumed on the nose, then an ethereal touch as it spreads across the palate, then nothing remains but that gorgeous, heavenly perfume. Yum. To know it is to love it.
—Kermit Lynch
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 95% Sciaccarellu, 5% Syrah |
Appellation: | Vin de Corse |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Domaine de Marquiliani |
Winemaker: | Anne Amalric |
Vineyard: | 20 years average |
Soil: | Schist and granite gravel with silt |
Aging: | Fermented in stainless steel |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 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.
2016 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
France | Corsica
This is for the adventure seekers. Not because they like to take risks, but because they enjoy the great outdoors and want a wine with character and beauty to enjoy by the campfire.
2021 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
France | Corsica
A beautiful example of Biancu Gentile, an heirloom white grape revived from near-extinction by Arena in the 1990s.
2022 Ile de Beauté Rouge
France | Corsica
A Corsican Red from a Rosé Specialist
2017 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
France | Corsica
This brooding amphora-aged red is a tribute to ancient Corsican wines, as they were produced in Roman times.
2023 Vin de Corse “Blanc de Marquilliani”
France | Corsica
This Vermentinu is light and fresh in the style of the Marquiliani rosés, with white flower aromatics, a touch of salinity, and a crisp finish.
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Général de la Révolution”
France | Corsica
A nod to the island’s rich history of viticulture, the Général is simply a stunning bottle of white wine.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Fruité Douce”
France | Corsica
From a tiny mill in Corsica’s eastern mountains, Douce is soft and tender; Sauvage is wildly peppery and herbaceous.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Ghjermana”
France | Corsica
In between the spicier “Sauvage” and softer “Douce.”
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Ministre Impérial”
France | Corsica
One of Corsica's finest reds, from a collection of heirloom grape varieties saved from extinction by Abbatucci's father.
About The Producer
Domaine de Marquiliani
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
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “E Croce”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Île de Beauté Blanc “E Croce”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Azezzu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2018 Île de Beauté Rouge “O Bà”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2019 Patrimonio Rouge
Domaine Giudicelli France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2017 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Général de la Révolution”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2017 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “E Croce”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Île de Beauté Blanc “E Croce”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Azezzu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2018 Île de Beauté Rouge “O Bà”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2019 Patrimonio Rouge
Domaine Giudicelli France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2017 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Général de la Révolution”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2017 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
Vintage Chart Mentality
Vintage Chart Mentality
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