Notify me
2013 Vin de France Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
Antoine ArenaThe chalky minerality, the salt sea, the bitter tinge of ripe Rolle grapes—you combine that with fish soup or fish stew and you will revel in the result. Another way to go would be to serve a charcuterie platter.
Here is the dramatic site, the beautiful vintage, the grape variety, bottled. Don’t miss it. This is masterful.
—Kermit Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2013 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Vermentinu |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Corsica |
Producer: | Jean-Baptiste Arena |
Winemaker: | Antoine Arena |
Vineyard: | 60 years, 1 ha |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Aging: | Ages for 1 year |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region
2019 Patrimonio Rouge
France | Corsica
Muriel Giudicelli’s Patrimonio rouge is elegant, deep, bursting with ripe black fruits, silky smooth, and offering great length.
2021 Corse Figari Blanc “Amphora”
France | Corsica
It has a purity and seamlessness—no angles or edges—and a feeling of weightlessness despite its broad, full-bodied, golden flesh.
2022 Corse Calvi Rouge “Clos Reginu”
France | Corsica
This bottle is benchmark Corsica at a weeknight price.
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.
2018 Île de Beauté Rouge “O Bà”
France | Corsica
A complex blend of one part Niellucciu for structure, one part Minustellu for silky tannins, and one part Grenache for a splash of wild blackberry and sunbaked earth, there is both power and elegance.
2022 Patrimonio Blanc “Grotte di Sole”
France | Corsica
Golden ripe Vermentinu berries are responsible for this fleshy, succulent dry white.
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Grotte di Sole”
France | Corsica
A full-throttle Niellucciu from a sun-soaked limestone vineyard in Patrimonio.
2023 Île de Beauté Blanc
France | Corsica
November Club Chevalier ~ Sun-ripened fruit, sea-mist salinity, and an alluring note of fresh herbs.
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Morta Maio”
France | Corsica
Lightly golden in color, it conjures up a day spent in the sun: seabreezes and ripe honeydew, including its subtle, savory rind.
2021 Patrimonio Rouge “Grotte di Sole”
France | Corsica
Think classic, spirited Sangiovese with a wilder, slightly darker-fruited, herb-singed character from the ancient seaside maquis-studded limestone.
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
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Monte Bianco”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Sarah”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2022 Corse Calvi Rosé “E Prove”
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica
2023 Île de Beauté Rosé
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2020 Corse Figari Rouge
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Cuvée Sarah”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Blanc “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Cuntentu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2018 Patrimonio Rouge
Domaine Giudicelli France | Corsica
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Monte Bianco”
Domaine Comte Abbatucci France | Corsica
2020 Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Sarah”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2022 Corse Calvi Rosé “E Prove”
Domaine Maestracci France | Corsica
2023 Île de Beauté Rosé
Yves Leccia France | Corsica
2020 Corse Figari Rouge
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2019 Vin de France Muscatellu “Morta Maió” Non Muté
Antoine-Marie Arena France | Corsica
2021 Patrimonio Blanc “Cuvée Sarah”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Rouge “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2021 Corse Figari Blanc “Amphora”
Clos Canarelli France | Corsica
2023 Vin de France Rouge “Sempre Cuntentu”
Domaine Giacometti France | Corsica
2023 Vin de Corse Rosé “Gris de Marquiliani”
Domaine de Marquiliani France | Corsica
2018 Patrimonio Rouge
Domaine Giudicelli France | Corsica
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211