Notify me
2015 Muscat du Cap Corse “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste ArenaThe Arena sons are as eager to think outside the box and execute novel ideas as they are to honor the local winemaking traditions that have come to define Corsica. One such tradition, Cap Corse’s celebrated dessert wine, represents one of the most fascinating and intriguing expressions of Muscat in the world. Talk about a sense of place: Muscat grown here seems to soak up the smells of its surroundings to give a uniquely Corsican perfume. It radiates Mediterranean sunshine, suggesting maquis wildflowers along with hints of wild mint and other herbs. Try splashing a dollop of the nectar over a seasonal fruit salad, then pour each of your guests a glass to accompany it—they are sure to be wowed.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | dessert |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Muscat |
Appellation: | Muscat du Cap Corse |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Jean-Baptiste Arena |
Winemaker: | Jean-Baptiste Arena |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1982, 1992, 1995, 1 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Muscat du Cap is a muted (fortified) wine that ages for 2 months in stainless steel |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 15% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “E Croce”
France | Corsica
Leccia's earthy, delicious island-mountain wine is fun, accessible and pairs with anything from fish stew to pasta to lounging in the park.
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Sarah”
France | Corsica
The Cuvée Sarah, an aromatic mix of roasted, smoking herbs with plenty of tannins to chew on, goes down with pleasure and calls for another round (and a grill).
2019 Corse Figari Rouge “Alta Rocca”
France | Corsica
Among the greatest expressions of Sciaccarellu being made today.
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
France | Corsica
Golden ripe Vermentinu berries are responsible for this fleshy, succulent dry white.
2022 Corse Calvi Blanc “Les Marottes d’Anaïs”
France | Corsica
Exceptionally perfumed with exotic fruits and a rush of fresh salinity, all evolving as the bottle unwinds.
2019 Vin de France Rouge “Costa Nera”
France | Corsica
A grandiose monument to the power of Corsica’s heirloom grapes.
Vin de France Rouge “Grotte di Sole”
France | Corsica
A full-throttle Niellucciu from a sun-soaked limestone vineyard in Patrimonio.
2016 Costa Nera
France | Corsica
Regally structured with a backbone of densely packed, yet incredibly silky tannins, this rare red stands level with top bottlings from Cornas, Bandol, and southern Italy.
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.
2019 Muscat du Cap Corse “Grotte di Sole”
France | Corsica
See why Cap Corse's famous Muscat tastes like no other dessert wine in the world.
About The Producer
Jean-Baptiste 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
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse “Blanc de Marquilliani”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2018 Île de Beauté Rouge “O Bà”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2019 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2018 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2022 Île de Beauté Rosé
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Rosé “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse “Blanc de Marquilliani”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2018 Île de Beauté Rouge “O Bà”
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2019 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “Diplomate d’Empire”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2018 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2022 Île de Beauté Rosé
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2022 Patrimonio Rosé “Cru des Agriate”
Domaine Giacometti 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