FR: Corsica Flashcards
What are the 5 subzones of Corse AOP?
- Calvi
- Figari
- Sarténe
- Coteaux du Cap Corse
- Porto-Vecchio
Malvoisie de Corse
Vermentino
Rossola
Ugni Blanc
Corse AOP
Sciaccarello synonym
Mammolo
How high does Corse AOP’s elevation top out at?
787M
Corsica climate
Mediterranean - sits at 41º
25.5in rain/yr, 2740 avg sunshine hours
The majority of Corsican wine is released under what designation?
IGP Ile de Beauté
*majority of wine is released as this
(about 237,500L vs. 12,100ish for AC)
What is Corsica’s most produced style of wine?
Rosé
about 70%
Corsica’s winds
*Libeccio: Blows north from Gibraltar 147 days per year in Cap Corse. Affects the north island more. Most common/regular wind.
*Mistral
*Sirocco: hot dry wind, blows north from Sahara
*Gregale: Greek wind from the Apennines
*Tramontana: A classical name for a northern wind, means “beyond/across mountains”. Cold, dry
3 bodies of water surrounding Corsica?
Ligurian Sea (north)
Tyrrenhian Sea (southern and to the east0
Mediterranean Sea (west)
Corsican variation of Sangiovese?
Nieulluccio
What is “Maquis”?
A Corsican term for scrubland
Corsica is covered by what 4 AOPs?
Corse AC
Muscat du Cap Corse AC
Patrimonio AC
Ajaccio AC
What body of water separates Corsica from Sardinia?
Strait of Bonifacio
What is “castagnu”?
Corsican for chestnut
What is the traditional vine training method on the island of Corsica?
Gobelet
What is Rappu?
A Corsican specialty: red VDN, typically made from Aleatico, but Niellucciu and blends are commonly found.
It is a traditional product historically made from the monks of Morsiglia le Rappu in the Cap Corse, dating to the 15th century.
Clos Paoli makes an example
Dom. Gioielli (KL) is imported
What is the dominant soil type found in the Coteaux du Cap Corse?
Schists
Prominent producer in the Figari subzone of Vin de Corse
Clos Canerelli
Where is the Agriates? What is it?
An desert area found in northern Corsica. Wine is made here under the Patrimonio AC.
Summarize the general soil patterns across the island of Corsica.
North/Cap Corse area: schists dominate. Patrimonio: chalk clay and limestone are found.
West: Granitic soils
East: more marly, sandy soils.
Libeccio
A strong wind that blows year round across northern Corsica. Westerly/southwesterly from Gibraltar. Raises sea levels and can bring squalls/rain.
What type of beer is a Corsican specialty?
Chestnut beer - a beer brewed by Pietra Brewery since 1996. Amber style made from barley malt and chestnut flour.
*Pietra is the first Corsican brewery
What digestif is typical and traditional to Corsica?
Myrtle
What is Mattei?
Corsica’s most famous aperitif wine. Blanc and rouge, made from a mistelle-base of Vermentino and MPG. The blanc is flavored with citron and cinchona bark. The rouge is also cinchona dominant with local spices and walnuts
Corse AOP
The generic, island-wide AC
WHITE: Vermentino-based
ROSÉ/RED: Grenache, Sciaccellu, Nielluciu
*Coteaux du Cap Corse is the only sub with a diverging style
5 SUBZONES: Calvi, Figari, Porto-Vecchio, Coteaux du Cap Corse, Sartène
Patrimonio AOP
Corsica’s 1st AC (1968). Haute-Corse.
*WHITES: 100% Vermentino
*ROSÉ/REDS: Min. 75% Nielluccio + Grenache, Sciaccarello & Rolle
*limestone, schist and chalk soils
*banned chemical weeding in 2021
*Ligurian Sea, Gulf of Saint-Florent
*Yves Leccia, Domaine Giacometti, Jean-Baptiste Arena
Ajaccio AOP
- grapes/styles
- soils
- main producers
Corse-du-Sud
- TERRAIN: some of the island’s highest vineyards, reaching up to 500M
- CLIMATE: Med. Elevation and proximity to ocean moderate the warmth. 2600 sunshine hours/yr
- SOILS: Clay with weathered granite
WHITE: min. 80% Vermentino
ROSÉ/RED: min. 40% Sciaccerello
Domaine U Stilliccionu & Comte Abbatucci are here (tho Abba = VDF). This is also Napoleon’s birthplace.
Muscat du Cap Corse AOP
Corsica’s 1 VDN
*MPG
*min. ABV 15-18% (21.5% potential)
*min. 90g/l RS
*Yves Leccia Domaine d’E Croce
