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2017 Vin de France Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
Antoine-Marie ArenaHauts de Carco is, as any respectable Arena fan knows, the pinnacle of viticultural achievement in the family. Planted high on the slope of Patrimonio’s has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed signature landmark—a sheer limestone outcropping that rises from the island like a giant wave—this vineyard delivers a wine of extreme flavor and character. As Kermit has aptly described on these pages before, it is like Corsican Chablis: pure Vermentinu planted in seashell-encrusted limestone. It also won’t come as a surprise to Arena fans that Antoine-Marie is talking about trying to plant even higher up the impossibly steep and rocky fin. But for the moment, until Hauts Hauts de Carco is born, this is still the highest.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Vermentinu |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Antoine-Marie Arena |
Winemaker: | Antoine-Marie Arena |
Vineyard: | Planted in 2003, 1 ha |
Soil: | L’imestone |
Aging: | 12 months in neutral 300-L barrels |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Vin de France Blanc “Hauts de Carco”
France | Corsica
It’s like Corsican Chablis: pure Vermentinu planted in seashell-encrusted limestone.
2019 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
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Aromas of black fruit, graphite, wild herbs, and game over firm, stony tannins. Saturated with flavors of the Île de Beauté.
2016 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
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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.
2018 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
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A beautiful example of Biancu Gentile, an heirloom white grape revived from near-extinction by Arena in the 1990s.
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
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If you’re like me, a glass of Corsican Muscatellu sparks visions of evening cheese plates laden with Marcona almonds and gemlike fruits.
2019 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
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A beautiful example of Biancu Gentile, an heirloom white grape revived from near-extinction by Arena in the 1990s.
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.
2018 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
France | Corsica
Aromas of black fruit, graphite, wild herbs, and game over firm, stony tannins.
2016 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
France | Corsica
There is something exotic here, something herbal, quite serious with great tension.
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
France | Corsica
Aromas of black fruit, graphite, wild herbs, and game over firm, stony tannins. Saturated with flavors of the Île de Beauté.
About The Producer
Antoine-Marie 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
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2021 Corse Calvi Rouge “Clos Reginu”
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2020 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Azezzu”
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2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
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2021 Île de Beauté Rouge
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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