Notify me
A Strong Contender for Wine of the Summer
A Strong Contender for Wine of the Summer
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani”
2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani”
Anne Amalric of Domaine de Marquiliani
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica | Vin de Corse
If certain bottles are emblematic of KLWM’s early history—Tempier’s Bandols and Joguet’s Chinons, to name just two—Anne Amalric’s rosé “gris” is one of the essential cuvées that have come to define the second half of our five decades in business. Kermit discovered it about fifteen years ago over lunch at the base of Corsica’s Monte Grosso, in a corner of the island so rural and rugged that cows grazed in the restaurant’s parking lot. It didn’t take long for it to become one of the wines that causes a stir among the staff when it lands in Berkeley.
For starters, it performs a mesmerizing kind of trompe l’œuil: two red grapes, Sciaccarellu and a splash of Syrah, have produced a white wine? No, it’s a rosé, all right, but it has a nearly transparent hue because pressing the grapes very gently draws only the faintest hint of color. I haven’t tasted another vin gris that is so simultaneously weightless, ethereal, and full of character. A gentle wave of peach, melon, and spring flowers rolls over the palate and lingers long past your last sip. As is true every year, it’s a strong contender for Wine of the Summer.
Anne Amalric of Domaine de Marquiliani
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2023 |
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: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Ghjermana”
France | Corsica
In between the spicier “Sauvage” and softer “Douce.”
2021 Vin de France Rouge “Monte Bianco”
France | Corsica
A grandiose expression of Sciaccarellu worthy of grand cru status.
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.
2023 Vin de Corse “Blanc de Marquilliani”
France | Corsica
Not only are the wildflowers soaring out of the glass, but with each sip, they are blossoming all around us.
2023 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.
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.
2019 Patrimonio Rouge
France | Corsica
Muriel Giudicelli’s Patrimonio rouge is elegant, deep, bursting with ripe black fruits, silky smooth, and offering great length.
2022 Vin de France “Le Vin Coule Dans Nos Veines”
France | Corsica
Reminiscent of ripe wild blackberries crushed on a hot stone, “Le Vin Coule” is utterly gulpable—give it a light chill and revel in this unique Corsican rouge.
2019 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.
2019 Vin de France Rouge “Costa Nera”
France | Corsica
A grandiose monument to the power of Corsica’s heirloom grapes.
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
2019 Muscat du Cap Corse “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2019 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Sarah”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2016 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Blanc
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Morta Maio”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Azezzu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2022 Bonifacio Blanc “Tarra di Sognu”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2018 Corse Calvi Rouge “E Prove”
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica
2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2016 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Muscat du Cap Corse “Grotte di Sole”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2019 Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio”
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Sarah”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2016 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Blanc “B.G.”
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Blanc
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Morta Maio”
Jean-Baptiste Arena France | Corsica
2020 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Azezzu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2022 Bonifacio Blanc “Tarra di Sognu”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2018 Corse Calvi Rouge “E Prove”
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica
2016 Muscat du Cap Corse
Antoine Arena France | Corsica
2016 Patrimonio Rouge “Carco”
Antoine-Marie Arena 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