2020 Gard Rouge “Célas”Ludovic Engelvin
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
$39
Producers
If any region in the world rivals Bandol in terms of the exceptional breadth and depth of rosé production, it is Corsica, where Yves Leccia, Anne Amalric, Jean-Charles Abbatucci, and Yves Canarelli—to name just a few all-stars—make serious, yet hedonistic wines across the island. From Corsica’s top to bottom, you can find a wide range of styles, from pink wines similar to Bandols in heft, complexity, and structure, to more ethereal, weightless renditions such as this rosé from Domaine de Marquiliani. Halfway down the eastern coast, in Aghione, vigneronne Anne Amalric crafts this cuvée from the Sciaccarellu grape with a splash of Syrah.
The first thing you notice is that it practically appears to be a white wine. And yet, as delicate and finessed as this rosé “vin gris” is, it packs some serious flavor, with notes of citrus, minerals, and peach, and a seemingly endless finish. This paradox—so light on its feet, yet succulent—comes from Anne’s terroir and her winemaking approach. The almost transparent hue and elegance on the palate result from her practice of harvesting early to avoid overripeness and pressing the grapes very gently. The depth and range of flavor, on the other hand, come primarily from Anne’s remarkable, stony terroir that imbues the grapes with so much character. Just one taste is enough to understand why it is a perennial favorite of our clients and staff, and how our stock of the wine and the contents of your bottle vanish so quickly.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2021 |
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: | 13.0% |
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica | Vin de Corse
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica | Vin de Corse
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.
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica | Corse Figari
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica | Patrimonio
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
Yves Leccia France | Corsica | Vin de Pays de l’Île de Beauté
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica | Vin de France
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
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