Corsica Wine Guide: Grapes, Appellations & Producers

Limestone Nielluccio

Soil: A pocket of limestone around the Golfe de Saint-Florent in the north — rare on this granite island.
Style: Structured, savoury reds from Nielluccio (Sangiovese) and saline, floral Vermentino whites.
Top sites: Nielluccio is genetically Sangiovese, brought from Tuscany — the link to Corsica’s Italian past.
Vintages: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Producers: Domaine GiacomettiYves Leccia

Tip · Patrimonio is Corsica’s grand cru in spirit — limestone Nielluccio and mineral Vermentino.

Value pick

Domaine Giacometti Patrimonio Rouge · ~$28

Savoury, herb-scented Nielluccio with maquis lift and fine tannin.

Collector pick

Antoine Arena Patrimonio "Carco" Blanc · ~$55 · 2021

Cult limestone Vermentino — saline, floral and ageworthy.

Granite Sciaccarello

Soil: Steep granite hills around the bay of Ajaccio on the island’s west coast.
Style: Pale, peppery, perfumed reds from Sciaccarello — light-footed and unmistakably Mediterranean.
Top sites: Sciaccarello ("crunchy") is Corsica’s own granite grape, pale and aromatic like a southern Pinot.
Vintages: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Producers: Clos CapitoroDomaine U Stiliccionu

Tip · Ajaccio’s granite gives ethereal, spicy Sciaccarello reds found almost nowhere else.

Value pick

Clos Capitoro Ajaccio Rouge · ~$26

Pale, peppery Sciaccarello — Mediterranean herbs and gentle grip.

Collector pick

Comte Abbatucci "Faustine Vieilles Vignes" · ~$45 · 2021

Biodynamic old-vine Sciaccarello — aromatic, saline and pure.