The Corsican grape varieties
Vermentinu, Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu and their lesser-known neighbours
Corsica works with grape varieties you will not find anywhere else in this form. That is the main reason these wines do not resemble those of Provence or the Languedoc.
White varieties
Vermentinu — known as Rolle or Vermentino on the French mainland, and as Malvoisie in Corsica — is the island’s main white variety. It gives a broad range of styles: from lively with pronounced citrus to richer and fuller when wood is involved. Picked perfectly ripe on limestone soils it gives wines of excellent minerality and fine acidity.
Bianco Gentile is the Corsican variety par excellence. The wines are full, but sometimes short on acidity. Yields are low and the picking date is critical if you want balance.
Genovese is an old variety from the region around Genoa, close to Cap Corse. It gives full, golden dry whites with good acidity — for now a very reliable variety.
Red varieties
Niellucciu, known in Corsica as “Petit et Noir”, is the most widely planted red variety on the island. It is thought to be related to Tuscan Sangiovese, but in Corsica it gives very different wines: leather, truffle and black olive, often with a bloody, almost animal note. On the palate structured, tannic, with good acidity. Ageing in wood softens the tannins and improves the keeping potential. The best years give complex wines that need time in the cellar.
Sciaccarellu — “crunchy” — is unique to Corsica. Thin, fragile skin, so it must be picked perfectly ripe. It gives lightly coloured wines with a fairly high alcohol level. The nose is often pale and shows tart red fruit (raspberry, strawberry) and a peppery bouquet. On the palate generous and fruity, delicate and complex; with age it recalls Burgundy or the northern Rhône. It does especially well in the Ajaccio appellation, on granite soils.
Minustellu, called Graciano in Rioja, has a thick skin and needs plenty of sun. In Corsica it gives highly aromatic wines with black fruit and scents of maquis, strawberry tree, thyme and sage. Power, tannin and a relatively high alcohol level: a food wine in the best sense.
Carcaghjolu Neru has compact bunches with small, thick-skinned berries. Low yields are needed for quality. The wines are dark, with black fruit, blackcurrant and plum, and hints of mocha and ink. Good tannins, moderate acidity and a lot of potential.
Morescone is a fairly productive variety with large, juicy bunches. Some winemakers compare it to Cinsault; for now it counts mainly as an interesting blending grape.
