Domaine Vecchio
Corse AOP · Monte Sant’Appiano · Corsica
Domaine Vecchio grew out of the meeting between Florence Giudicelli, from the village of Chiatra di Verde, and Jérôme Girard, a Languedocien and experienced oenologist. They met at the cooperative cellar of Marana, south of Bastia.
Starting with almost nothing
Florence was finishing her graduation placement there; Jérôme had come to the island for a single season of winemaking. Together they founded Domaine Vecchio on the slopes of Monte Sant’Appiano, which enjoys a favourable microclimate and cool nights.
With very little money, the start was hard. They bought an old ruined house, rented vineyards and acquired experimental Corsican varieties from the nearby CRVI. The project began in 2000 on twelve rented hectares, where local varieties such as Niellucciu and Vermentinu sat alongside “international” Syrah and Chardonnay.
Mélusine, and then forty hectares
In 2003 Florence and Jérôme celebrated the birth of their daughter Mélusine and created the red cuvée of the same name: 100% Niellucciu, sturdy and powerful, with the heady scents of the maquis.
In 2014 they acquired forty hectares of untouched land, seven of which they planted with indigenous varieties such as Bianco Gentile, Minustellu and Sciaccarellu.
Alluvium and clay, between sea and mountain
On this terroir of alluvium and clay the yields are low — 35 hl/ha — and the harvest is done by hand. The vines enjoy a double influence, maritime and mountain, which should let the estate go organic before long.
Florence and Jérôme make sincere, fruity, authentic wines that win us over every year.
The estate at a glance
| Appellation | Corse AOP |
| Vineyard | 28 ha — 21.5 ha red, 6.5 ha white |
| Production | ± 40,000 bottles a year |
| Yield | 35 hl/ha |
| Harvest | By hand |
| Vine age | 25 years on average |
| Grape varieties | Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, Minustellu, Syrah, Vermentinu, Bianco Gentile, Chardonnay |
