Corsica Rosé - A Beautiful Wine and Island
Corsica is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea between the southeastern coast of Provençe and the western coast of Tuscany. The island, which is part of France, has a long history of winemaking. Having spent an unforgettable vacation there, I can attest the island is as beautiful as it is enchanting. The island in distance is closer to Italy as are it’s influence is reflected in the grape varieties which are mostly Italian, Sangiovese (Nielluccio on this island) and Vermentino. The island’s Mediterranean climate and the mountainous, hilly terrain;, the soils are mainly granite, shale and limestone soils and cooling sea breezes are all ideal elements for grape growing and winemaking.
This wine is labelled “Ile de Beauté IGP”. IGP means Indication Géographique Protégée which is between Vin de Table (VDT) and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC). The wine laws are less constrained which gives more flexibility to the wine produces and benefits the consumers. For example the list of grape varieties are broader, the geographical area is much larger than an AOC and the wine maker can label the grape varietal on the wine which helps consumers know what they are getting. For instance, Corsica IGP is made up of a mixture of traditional Corsican, Spanish, French and Italian grape varieties.
The vineyard is located in Patrimonio region in the Ile de Beauté IGP region. The old vines are planted in the north on limestone hillsides and treated to organically grown and made by owner Eric Poli. Domaine Poli Sciaccarellu (a perfumed varietal primarily grown in Corsica) Niellucciu (similar to Sangiovese) Rosé Ile de Beauté 2019. Pale salmon pink color. This wine jumps out fruity - lavender and more lavender with strawberry on the nose. The palate flavors of lemon, crisp pear, lime, grapefruit, strawberry, raspberry, rosemary peach, thyme , earthy, and saline. It’s high acid, dry to offdry and refreshingly long finish. Lip smacking ultra fresh and so easy to drink!
Pair with a seafood platter, fried calamari or grilled sea bass.
