Proclamation: Corsica is producing some of the most exciting wines coming out of Europe right now. As you approach the island, some 125 miles south of the French Riviera in the Mediterranean Sea, the first sighting of land reveals the Coteaux du Cap Corse—here, on the island’s northeastern shores, the estate vines of Domaine Pieretti cascade from steep hillsides down to the sea.
The coastal influence imparts a textured, fresh, mineral-perfect poise and tension to the wines, genuinely articulated by today’s offer—a blend of 20% Grenache and 80% Nielluccio (Sangiovese). It’s a standout Corsican red for me that over-delivers with wonderful energy, aromatic lift, and a Chianti-meets-cru-Beaujolais quality. Lina Venturi-Pieretti’s family has farmed these lands for close to 500 years, and after fires ravaged many of their vines in 1980s, she replanted and rebounded. Pieretti ages this
cuvée in stainless steel, making this a super-bright and fresh red with dark echoes of fruit and earth courtesy of extended skin contact. Very few cases are produced and what little we have is your chance to understand why Corsica has been hailed a “land of legends and magic.” It is a wild and delicious red that readily evokes its inimitable terroir!
Originally under Italian Genoese rule, Corsica has been under French domain since 1769. This explains why Vermentino and Sangiovese are widely planted today, known locally as Rolle and Nielluccio, respectively. France’s firm grasp may have something to do with Napoleon being born in Ajaccio on the southwestern Corsican shores, where granite soils are home to mostly Sciacarellu grapes (a.k.a. Mammolo). The Coteaux du Cap Corse is dominated by schist soils, which then give way to more calcareous-clay soils to the south in Patrimonio.
In Coteaux du Cap Corse, the local Nielluccio variety shines. Genetically identical to Sangiovese, it produces intrinsically alive and electric reds. That wine has been produced in Corsica for centuries only makes sense—the local cuisine demands it. You’re eating seafood and drinking local white wines and chilled local reds with dishes of wild boar, sheep, and beef, along with goat or ewe’s milk local cheeses. The island’s mountainous interior meets stunning coastlines in a diverse landscape where some of the best rosés in all of Europe are being made and consumed within miles of their origins.
In the Coteaux du Cap Corse, a warm region in the northeast, Lina Venturi-Pieretti spares no expense to ensure her grapes retain vivid flavors, aromas, and crunchy acidity. That guarantee comes courtesy of a shipping container she transformed into a cold-storage room where all her grapes are kept immediately after hand-harvesting. Extremely cool fermentation and lengthy maceration imbue her red with qualities I associate with the Loire Valley or Cru Beaujolais—vibrant fruit, turned earth, and fresh florals—but it’s balanced by Rhône-like warmth and robust tannin.
The 2017 Pieretti Rouge Coteaux du Cap Course shows a medium-ruby core with purple reflections. It’s not super-extracted but rather bright, charming, and light on its feet, showing medium to medium-plus acidity and tannin. I find perfectly picked wild berry fruit aromas and a striking balance between fruit layers and freshness—blackberry and cherry blossom aromas evolve further on the palate with super-ripe, just-picked black cherry and blackberry fruits, hinting at luscious blueberry preserves and damp violets. I’d recommend a 30-minute decant before serving in Burgundy stems on the cooler side, say 60 degrees. This demands an evening planned around classic Corsican foods like dried sausages, wild boar, veal stew, or Corsican-style lamb and olives. It’s the kind of pairing that’ll send you to the internet, in search of affordable flights to France. Be warned!
