2020 Domaine Comte Abbatucci ‘Faustine Rouge’, Corsica

In the colourful city of Ajaccio, there are streets, monuments and plazas that carry the name Abbatucci, which is normal given that General Jean-Charles Abbatucci from Ajaccio was a hero of the French Revolution and comrade in arms of another local hero, Napoléon Bonaparte! The Domaine is run by Jean-Charles Abbatucci, a direct descendant of the General. He farms the rugged, windy, granite slopes of southern Corsica, applying biodynamic and other experimental farming practices to Corsican grape varieties like Sciaccarellu, Barbarossa, and Carcajolu Neru. The estate produces around 1500-300 bottles of each type of wine they make. Today, Jean-Charles’s wines are recognised all over the world as wines that preserve the very particular and original flavours of Corsican terroir. Why do we like it? It is made primarily from Sciaccarellu, a grape whose name in Corsican refers to the way the berries, when ripe, crunch under one’s teeth. You feel a similar sensation while sipping on the crushed, fermented result of those same berries: this vibrant, resinous red is reminiscent of succulent, freshly harvested red berries, pomegranates and herbal spice so typical of Corsican reds. Its freshness and light hue belie its impressive structure and density, which largely come from Sciaccarellu’s counterpart in the blend, Niellucciu.   Grape           70% Sciaccarellu, 30% Nielluciu Country        France                            Region          Corsica                               Vintage         2020