Alte Rosso Blanc VdF 2019

The floral aromas of its youth have given way, in this wine, to a hearty, rustic freshness: tart apples, green herbs, yellow gooseberries and peaches, along with poached pear with a hint of cinnamon, grilled pineapple, pomelo and subtle notes of smoke and oriental spices. At 11.5% vol. it remains dry and lively, yet has real substance.

The vines grow in the Taravo valley on Corsica, at 150 metres above sea level, on granitic sandy soils with a naturally north- and northeast-facing orientation. This exposure explains the wine's freshness and mineral tension.

A single-varietal wine made from Barbarossa, a very rare pink-skinned grape that Jean-Charles Abbatucci vinifies as a white. His grandfather planted the first five hectares a century ago with Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Barbarossa and Carcaghjolu neru. Jean-Charles took over the estate in 1992 and restructured the vineyards. Grapes are hand-harvested into small crates, followed by meticulous selection in the cellar.

The attack is very fresh and at the same time saline, the texture finely grained, with power, roundness and the richness of a warm vintage. Ripe apples and a touch of honey give way to lemon and orange zest with fine bitter notes, beneath which flint, earth and iodine emerge. The finish is long and subtly saline.

With grilled saltwater fish, robust shellfish dishes and lightly matured goat cheese.

In the 1960s, Antoine Abbatucci assembled a collection of eighteen native Corsican grape varieties; Barbarossa is part of this heritage. The estate has farmed biodynamically since 2000, Demeter-certified since 2005, using horse ploughing, a flock of sheep and preparations made from medicinal herbs. The Demeter logo appears on the label.