Wine tourism in Southern Corsica: combining business with pleasure in autumn

musical wines

Wine tourism in Southern Corsica: combining business with pleasure in autumn

The photos accompanying the story are displayed from left to right

The tourist season has quietened down at this time of year, which allowed me to stay with a dear friend and finally discover Corsica’s high-calibre wine estates with their endemic grape varieties.

Settled high up for my stay in La Trinité de Porto Vecchio, with a breathtaking 360° view of the Mediterranean and the lush agricultural plains crowned in the distance by the Aiguilles de Bavella, I prepared my selected visits.

First of all, a Corsican wine festival was organised with the locals, where we thoroughly enjoyed tasting two well-known neighbouring estates.

Beforehand, we visited the Domaines Fior de Lecci and Torraccia to buy supplies for the party. From the range, I chose the high-quality Prestige vintages for Fior de Lecci and Alligria for Torraccia. There was also a wide selection of rosés to accompany a few Corsican whites from Vaccelli, Pieretti and high-end Champagnes sourced from the L’Empreinte – Ana Marchetti wine cellar in the town of P.V.

All the finely sliced charcuterie to accompany the wines was, of course, laid out on the counter.

A Corsican feast to delight our sharpened taste buds and continue our delicious holiday.

Our first stop is at Domaine Comte Abbatucci in the commune of Casalabrisa, not far from Sartène in the Taravo valley, where we can immerse ourselves in the maquis. The night before, we stayed in a cabin in the woods, far from everything, where black pigs and wild boars roam freely among the rich flora.

We enjoyed an authentic breakfast right next to the 21-hectare property, before being welcomed by the music-loving owner, Jean-Charles Abbatucci, in his silent electric mini taxi.

This unique, isolated, wild vineyard, with its multiple exposures, in a hilly area of steep slopes with granite soil and an inspiring view of the mountains, captivated our attention with its natural magic and long-standing premium biodynamic universe.

A plot dedicated specifically to endemic grape varieties kicked off the tour, with no fewer than 18 varieties in residence.

White grape varieties: Bianco gentile, Barbarossa, Biancone, Brustiano, Carcajolo Bianco, Genovese, Paga Debbiti, Rossola Brandinca, Rossola Bianca, Riminese.

Red grape varieties: Aleatico, Carcajolo Nero, Minustello, Morescola, Morescono, Montanaccia.

A true orchestration around the emblematic Vermentino, Sciacarello and Nielluccio grape varieties, with maestro Abbatucci working with the ultimate ‘Corsitude’ diplomat in precise colonial harmony in both white and red, Demeter & Biodyvin.

Visit the spirited plots where the old vines can descend almost ten metres into the ground to capture the water and minerals necessary for their development through capillarity.

Then there are those where new guidelines have had to be imposed due to significant climate change, requiring serious modifications such as the installation of shaded stakes instead of the classic trellises.

After getting to know each other under a bright sun, whose persistent rays bounce between rows of cacti, securely fixed anti-wild boar nets (because they are the number one berry thieves!) and rows of vines, we turned to see the exquisite wooden family home perched high above, providing the perfect view. mini swimming pool, we made our way to the cellar below the vineyards to begin tasting the 2024 vintages in vats or barrels.

The recently built modern gravity-fed reception cellar is spacious, airy and well laid out for our tasting tour.

The Bacchanalian symphony continues with the cuvée named after his daughter, Faustine blanc sec 2024, 100% Vermentinu, old vines, direct pressing, stainless steel vats, whose nose and palate have a dense and complex bouquet of Williams pear, white peach and fennel, punctuated by a parsimonious spiral of oriental spices, adjusted with a mineral tension.

Its accompanying track from the same vintage perfectly complements this brilliantly orchestrated gustatory fervour:

The artists Hermanos Gutiérrez – ‘Low Sun’ 2024 seem a virtuous choice, blending dreams and sensory imagination into music to highlight the idyllic benefits of the nectar being tasted.

Then the Général de la Révolution – blanc sec 2024 (Vermentinu plus 5 grape varieties Bianco gentile, Biancone, Carcajolo Bianco, Paga Debbiti, Rossola Brandinca) offers us a graceful aromatic cavalcade, pastry-like with buttery notes accompanied by a lively fragrance of lime blossom, yellow spring flowers and exotic fruits, the whole appetising, fresh and lively with a hint of salty minerality.

I suggest this delightful composition by singer Rosie Lowe – ‘Mood to Make Love’ 2024 to highlight the sensuality of taste and aromatic poetry of the wine from the same vintage:

The Diplomate d’Empire – blanc sec 2024 (Vermentino, Brustiano, Bianco Gentile, Genovese and Rossola Bianca) is not to be outdone, dazzling us with its complex, multi-layered floral bouquet of flowers and fruit, even more intense than the previous wine. Cavaillon melon jostles with yellow peach, a shot of clementine escapes from a gang of vibrant, slightly peppery figs, and a diplomatic saline texture blossoms, signalling a long finish and decades of ageing potential.

I thought of that timeless ethnic ethio-jazz piece by artist Jorga Mesfin – ‘Spring Water’ 2024 – to highlight the delicate precision of this deeply ‘Corsican’ beverage on the palate.

Then we changed colours for the Monte Bianco red 2024 (100% Sciacarello), a long blend aged in stainless steel vats and then 1/2 muid, delivering powerful and swinging wild strawberries with a hint of wild myrtle teased by an enticing morello cherry.

A musical rhythm for a choice that I hope is inspired, with the sexy and fresh composition by the group Ezra Collective – God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (ft. the female singer Yazmin Lacey) 2024 to highlight the ardour of the fluttering fruit.

The Ministre Impérial – red 2024 cuvée (Morescola, Morescono, Aleatico, Carcajolo Nero, Montanaccia, Sciaccarello and Nielluccio), aged in a similar way to the previous wine, highlights the grace of biodynamic science in the terroir, revealing a complex lactescence of Corsican red and black fruits combined with a smoky, peppery sensation and resplendent minerality.

I have chosen an explosive piece combining pop, rock and the powerful cinematic world of dreams to punctuate the complex and authentic approach of the potion:

Church Chords – ‘Warriors of Playtime’ 2024 harmonising the fairy-like voice with ‘Hendrix-esque’ guitar and rich, scathing satellite arrangements.

The highlight of the visit was the Monte Mare – red 2024 (100% Sciacarello)

from a plot where the vines are sprayed with sea water instead of copper and sulphur, aged in 1/2 muid and ceramic concrete eggs for 12 months. The result is bursting with fresh red fruit and a hint of iodine, kirsch cherry alongside the hearth, and silky, ashy sensuality that gives the wine its luxuriance. Blindfolded, it rivals the aristocratic Burgundy.

Absolutely stunning!

Music maestro!

Internationally renowned artist Meshell Ndegeocello and the composition – ‘Love’ 2024, supported by her gospel ensemble with their fantastical voices, mirror the surprising gracefulness of the wine at the zenith of its success as a Vin de France.

There is also Zinzala olive oil, produced from centuries-old biodynamic olive trees, which you can discover during your visit when the inn is open during the summer season.

Pop into brother Jacques’ Abbatucci butcher’s shop in the neighbouring town of Serra di Ferro, where tiger-striped cattle reign supreme. Follow them here: https://www.vachetigre.com/

A delightfully tender treat on your plate, whether as a rib or a steak, we tried both here.

A Vista ristorante! A must.

A new epicurean discovery just opened at the start of the season in the centre of P.V. with a breathtaking view overlooking the harbour.

Jean Yves and a young chef of excellence welcomed us like family thanks to my locally known friend. A ballet of prawn ravioli with a wonderful red curry sauce, veal with dingo tomatoes, octopus prepared as Zeus himself could not have done better with Chimichury sauce and a most diligent mineral white from @domaineperaldi to accompany all the dishes chosen, which were more than recommendable!

Then we headed to Bonifacio at Spinella, where we were met by one of Nadine Z’s colleagues from Domaine Zuria IGP Ile de Beauté.

Located in a very visible spot by the roadside, the property was bathed in western sunlight at the time of our appointment. The building was radiant, blending into the vineyards, designed in dry stone at first glance, ultra-modern in depth and vast in gravity.

This estate is young and very promising, as evidenced by the serious development of each vintage and the strict purchase allocations due to limited production by plot.

(3 hectares in Stintinu (Maora), 2 hectares in Musella, 6 hectares in Spinella, 2 hectares in Santa Giulia, 3 hectares in Vallée Longa)

The tasting began with the three Aria cuvées from the granite terroirs of Vallée Longa and San Giuliano, vinified in stainless steel vats, Sciacarellu for the rosé and red, Vermentinu for the white. A twist of fluid, well-designed beverages, pure and easy to drink, to be consumed young and fresh, including the red. Wild strawberry for one, smoked meat juice for another, flint for the third… it’s up to you!

The complexity increases with the cuvées:

Initiale 2024 white (Vermentinu – Biancu Gentile – Genovese from the Crocci and Spinella limestone plots, vinified in oak casks).

A deluge of ripe white fruits in a crystalline, salty waltz where the opulence on the palate delights the taste buds. It can be paired with this piece of music, where hearing and taste have the pleasure of a sensory and poetic discovery:

Ganavya – ‘Om Supreme’ (feat. Vijay Iyer & Immanuel Wilkins) 2024, which will undoubtedly complement the minerality of this spiritual wine during ten minutes of hedonistic listening and tasting.

Initiale 2024 red (Sciacarellu from the Stintinu and Spinella limestone plots, vinified in stainless steel vats, concrete eggs and old oak casks) joins its sibling in a succession of red fruits, fine spices and natural olfactory sensations of the Corsican maquis.

We move on to the low-yield single-vineyard cuvées, and on the day of our visit, only two of them were available.

Santa Giulia white 2024 (Vermentinu old vines on granite and schist, vinification in stainless steel vats and concrete eggs) offers a wonderfully clear salinity, where the romance of fresh white fruits on the palate soothes our senses.

The track by artist Cassie Kinoshi & seed. – feat. NikNak & London Contemporary Orchestra -‘I & II’ 2024 fits perfectly with the above definition of wine with its magnificent cinematic brass and string arrangements.

Spinella Rouge 2023 (Sciaccarellu, Minustellu, Carcaghjolu Neru and Niellucciu on limestone overlooking the sea, vinified in oak casks) stands out for its airy, regenerating salinity and dynamic black fruit flavours, governed by a mineral tension that is like a missile taste feeling!

The track by artist Daniel Villarreal – ‘Sunset Cliffs’ 2023 – echoes this sensitivity detected in the description of the wine from the same vintage, appealing to both the senses of taste and hearing.

Finally, we visited the Domaine Buzzo Bunifazziu in Bonifacio Santa Manza, near the wild sandy coves in the off-season.

On 14 hectares of hilly clay-limestone terroir in the Rocca Gianca, Ciafara, Biginti and Cian di Fossi plots, owners Thierry (son) and Vincent Buzzo (father) are busy creating their new, more spacious winery to develop their already rich range of surprises.

Rocca Bianca blanc 2024 Vin de Pays de l’Ile de Beauté (100% Vermentinu – vinified in stainless steel vats and oak barrels) opens the tasting early in the morning in the current winery, served from an old-fashioned barrel, just the way we like it.

An immediate explosion of flavour, with notes of verbena and ripe citron on the nose, and a buttery, long finish with a salty minerality that envelops the palate.

The cheerfulness of artist Zacchae’us Paul‘s track ‘Banana Laffy Taffy’ 2024 marries perfectly with the rich aroma of the wine, which reflects modern jazz arrangements with ambitious saxophone.

Ciafara rosé 2024 (Sciacarellu, Niellucciu, Barbarossa on chalky clay-limestone soil – vinified in stainless steel vats)

A striking rosé with coppery highlights and just the right shade of partridge eye, where hawthorn aromas caress fennel and a graceful bitterness ricochets off salty red fruits. The palate is fresh and easy to drink, juggling subliminal sweetness to perfection.

One of the best Corsican rosés, I imagine.

Tom Noble – ‘Time Is Running Out’ 2024 signs the enthusiasm one can feel when tasting this seasonal success, to be enjoyed in its aromatic youth.

Ciafara Rouge 2023 (Niellucciu 60% Scicarellu 40% – chalky clay-limestone – vinification in stainless steel vats and oak barrels)

A well-targeted Burgundy-style wine! Strawberry dances a slow dance with raspberry, while cherry vibrates with the hearth, and the liveliness of white pepper teases the fruity acidity with melted tannins, making this wine a treat for the senses.

All that remains is to add a piece of music to match Baudelaire’s style, and I have chosen the artists Carlos Niño & Friends for the dreamy composition ‘(I’m just) Chillin’, on fire’ 2023, which highlights the finesse of this nectar.

Cian di Fossi red 2021 (100% Minustellu – vinified in stainless steel vats and oak barrels)

A truly ‘mind-blowing’ experience of olfactory and gustatory magnificence, where I discover this endemic grape variety with undeniable ‘Anapurnian*’ qualities!

A cascade of empyreumatic fragrances, where smoked cocoa is complemented by a delicate undergrowth mousse with menthol and iodine notes and a hint of mushroom, creates a powerful and delightfully tense palate.

One of the legends of jazz, Archie Shepp, accompanied by Jason Moran on piano in the emblematic track – ‘Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child’ 2021 – matches the sensual complexity of the beverage, brushing its lively richness in unison.