It's about time these wines get the recognition they deserve. It's a small island and you can cover the whole thing in a few days. At the same time you can taste a myriad of reds, whites, roses and the island favorite muscat. PM me for itinerary assistance. Have spent four months a year there for the last 15 years.
The angle of the sun on the grape vine, which varies with the season and time of day, makes a measurable difference in how wine made from that grape tastes? I'll consider believing it after independently administered, scientifically valid, peer review, blind taste tests prove it. Until then, I'll continue to consider it just another myth held dear by wine snobs and drunks.
According to me, Corsica is the most beautiful departement in France. Don't hesitate to visit it, Not just, we can drink excellent wine or excellent cheese, but the landscape is incredibly beautiful, moreover we call it "L’île de Beauté" the island of Beauty
2
After a visit with Jancis's "Wine Grapes":
Carcajolu Neru = Parraleta and many other names. Originally from the Somontano region in northeastern Spain.
Genovese = Scimiscià, a white grape originally from Liguria.
Morescola = Aubun, a minor blending grape originally from the southern Rhône, similar, but not related to, carignan.
Montaneccia = ???
Riminèse = Albana (white grape noted for making sweet wines, originally from Emilia Romagna)
Biancu Gentile = A true native of Corsica, a rare aromatic white grape.
Carcajolu Neru = Parraleta and many other names. Originally from the Somontano region in northeastern Spain.
Genovese = Scimiscià, a white grape originally from Liguria.
Morescola = Aubun, a minor blending grape originally from the southern Rhône, similar, but not related to, carignan.
Montaneccia = ???
Riminèse = Albana (white grape noted for making sweet wines, originally from Emilia Romagna)
Biancu Gentile = A true native of Corsica, a rare aromatic white grape.
Terroir is indeed a real thing. May I suggest that it includes all of the influences mentioned as well as some that were not? In particular, I am thinking of the microbial influences that humans tend to not want to think about. Soil and rock and sun and air seem so wholesome, but exerting a major influence are also all of the varieties of yeast and other biological agents that inhabit wine. The same applies to bread and cheese also, of course, not to mention beer. I doubt I'll ever see such a characteristic listed on a label, though.
6
Terroir as a term that means wine made from grape A in place B tastes different from wine made from grape A in place C is fine short hand. But saying things like "grown in the dry granite soils of southern Corsica, .. flavors of ... stony earth" or that Chablis has a seashell flavor because it is grown in limestone gives the concept a bad name. Later statements in the article add nuance to the quoted description. I agree that the importance of yeast to the flavor of wines is very important and usually ignored, I guess single-celled animals do not lend themselves to poetry.
I think Eric has written an extremely fair review if the type - and nice to see him publish more frequently.
In our home, we use very little wine and dislike most reds, save the odd braise. In our opinion, if a wine must be drunk, it will usually be a first-rate Riesling, served chilled (it will warm a little). With sincere apologies the huge clan of reds, often reported by Eric and others tooo be best-of-class, we began enjoying the dry whites of SW Germany, Alsace and Trier, FR areas many decades ago, and we know where/how to buy what we like. Far more volume goes into cooking fish and shellfish, but we will drink a little. When a locally assigned GI meets a local resident who grows grapes, miracles can happen. Forty-five years later, growing a few (100 acres) of Riesling-suitable" fruit seems to be our thing. The only wine that we make is processed via 100 or 250 gallon systems, both filled, corked and processed by hand. The other fruit is sold by weight/volume/bris, all with the understanding that our name man NEVER be used. It works. Some years produce world-class wine; others are best kept in the kitchen or cellar. Partner was born into the grape and wine business; I came only 45 years ago. In the end, we are grape farmers, not commercial wine makers. More than 90% of our harvest is sold to others. Guess who gets the first/last/best of the crop. And No. I won't grow the dense reds here. Did I mention Riesling? -Cg.
In our home, we use very little wine and dislike most reds, save the odd braise. In our opinion, if a wine must be drunk, it will usually be a first-rate Riesling, served chilled (it will warm a little). With sincere apologies the huge clan of reds, often reported by Eric and others tooo be best-of-class, we began enjoying the dry whites of SW Germany, Alsace and Trier, FR areas many decades ago, and we know where/how to buy what we like. Far more volume goes into cooking fish and shellfish, but we will drink a little. When a locally assigned GI meets a local resident who grows grapes, miracles can happen. Forty-five years later, growing a few (100 acres) of Riesling-suitable" fruit seems to be our thing. The only wine that we make is processed via 100 or 250 gallon systems, both filled, corked and processed by hand. The other fruit is sold by weight/volume/bris, all with the understanding that our name man NEVER be used. It works. Some years produce world-class wine; others are best kept in the kitchen or cellar. Partner was born into the grape and wine business; I came only 45 years ago. In the end, we are grape farmers, not commercial wine makers. More than 90% of our harvest is sold to others. Guess who gets the first/last/best of the crop. And No. I won't grow the dense reds here. Did I mention Riesling? -Cg.
Five of your recommended wines are imported by Kermit Lynch. When living in San Francisco, a group of people whom I knew put together a wine tasting group. Having the largest home in the group with ample parking, my home became to location for our every other week tasting group. We limited the group size to 8 people and selected wines from the same region and varietal to taste.
It occurred to us it would be a great idea to have these tastings in a restaurant and have food as part of the tasting. Thus we decided to do the tastings every other Tuesday night as many restaurants are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays are generally very slow.
I can remember some great tastings we had over 40 years ago and when we found particularly notable wines, we would scour the country for those wines. A couple of people in the group worked for a very large importer/wine retailer so getting the wines delivered to San Francisco was not a problem.
Kermit is no longer a member but this tasting group is still doing it's thing. Still have some 1971 Grand Cru Classe French Burgundy in my cellar.
Kermit has written a book called Adventures of the wine route, a wine buyers tour of France. The depth of investigation Kermit makes in selecting his wines to import is absolutely incredible. He does not like wine that is subject to high volume pumps to move it about in the winery and he personally visits every winery before making his selections.
Get this book and learn a lot.
It occurred to us it would be a great idea to have these tastings in a restaurant and have food as part of the tasting. Thus we decided to do the tastings every other Tuesday night as many restaurants are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays are generally very slow.
I can remember some great tastings we had over 40 years ago and when we found particularly notable wines, we would scour the country for those wines. A couple of people in the group worked for a very large importer/wine retailer so getting the wines delivered to San Francisco was not a problem.
Kermit is no longer a member but this tasting group is still doing it's thing. Still have some 1971 Grand Cru Classe French Burgundy in my cellar.
Kermit has written a book called Adventures of the wine route, a wine buyers tour of France. The depth of investigation Kermit makes in selecting his wines to import is absolutely incredible. He does not like wine that is subject to high volume pumps to move it about in the winery and he personally visits every winery before making his selections.
Get this book and learn a lot.
13
Excellent point on the Lynch-heavy selections! And thanks for the rec on his book.
2
I've interpreted Matt Kramer as not saying if you drink a lot of different wines the existence of terroir is clear, rather he says that if you drink gallons and gallons of Puligny Montrachet les Perrieres the terroir of les Perrieres eventually clicks into place in your mind. Matt admits to being a terrible blind taster, and of course all the French wine experts at the Judgement of Paris could not even tell whether they were tasting French or California wines, let alone distinguishing blind between les Perrieres and les Combettes.
I suspect what you taste in Corsican wines made from sciaccarellu is the result of good clonal selection and tender loving care rather than Corsican dirt making something special out of mammolo. And to me, that's just fine!
I suspect what you taste in Corsican wines made from sciaccarellu is the result of good clonal selection and tender loving care rather than Corsican dirt making something special out of mammolo. And to me, that's just fine!
5
This is really some hilarious stuff. Scientists prove that terroir is an illusion, but wine snobs know their ESP is more reliable. Scientists prove the earth is warming, but industry snobs again play the ESP card. The validity of science, it seems, depends on ideology.
3
Generally when I hear someone talking about terroir, I laugh. When I was working in the wine business doing tastings around the country, people selling French Wines called our Napa Valley Cabernet's fruit bombs. Yes they were fruit bombs simply because these wines were fermented in stainless steel vats chilled by a ethylene glycol solution - the stuff found in your car radiators.
Today fruit is the first thing most people seek - the term fruit bomb has long been relegated to the dust bin of history.
To me there is a wine that has terroir and that is French Burgundy. Have been lucky to taste several grand cru burgundies when the per bottle price did not have a comma in it.
It will be interesting to see if the cooler climates in WA and OR can produce Pinot Noir that can compare with the best French Burgundies.
Today fruit is the first thing most people seek - the term fruit bomb has long been relegated to the dust bin of history.
To me there is a wine that has terroir and that is French Burgundy. Have been lucky to taste several grand cru burgundies when the per bottle price did not have a comma in it.
It will be interesting to see if the cooler climates in WA and OR can produce Pinot Noir that can compare with the best French Burgundies.
1
I've tasted exquisite Pinot Noir from Washington state which were incomparable and have tasted red burgundy which is insipid as well as overpriced. $100 for a bottle of red wine from Corsica? Are you guys nuts? Maybe you guys should sit down and read a little fairytale entitled The Princess and the Pea.
1