2023 Clos Canarelli, Corse Figari Blanc, Vermentinu, Coscia, France.
The Clos Canarelli Corse Figari Blanc, 100% Vermentino aka Vermentinu, as locals call it, is a brilliant white wine, one of my absolute favorites of the Mediterranean region with presence, tension and vinous pleasure, it never fails to impress and thrill in the glass. Loaded with zest and mineral intensity this vintage is slight smoky reductive with flinty notes and a medium bodied palate of tart peach, tangerine, earthy melon and crisp apple fruits, a touch of spice, almond bitterness, wet stones, wild herbs, a subtle round wood feel and a fresh salty sea shore element. This bright gold and stony wine, by the legendary Yves Canarelli, is from all organic and biodynamically certified vines planted in 1997, set on pure granite based soils, which helps keep that fresh detail and the mentioned mineral intensity. For this bottling, Canarelli employs a gentle whole cluster pressing and tank fermentation with a small portion of which is barrel fermented and sees partial malolactic, with aging done in mostly in large foudres, along with some older, neutral small barrels. As mentioned before, I love all of these Canarelli wines, and while most are from native grapes, they do have some international varietals still mixed in here with smatterings of Cinsault, Syrah, Muscat and Grenache, to go along with ancient Etruscan imports like Sciaccarellu (Mammolo) and Niellucciu (Sangiovese) which are now considered long time indigenous grapes. Canarelli has also brought back to life grapes like Carcaghjolu Neru, Biancu Gentile and Minustellu, that were almost lost to history.
Clos Canarelli, as importer Kermit Lynch notes, is based near the remote village of Tarabucetta, outside of Figari on the southern tip of Corsica, and along with Abbatucci, is one of Corsica’s leading lights, handcrafting a stunning array of wines based on traditionally native grapes. Yves Canarelli has made quite an impact not only in Corsica, Lynch adds, but in mainland France as well, such are the glories from his cellar. As a former student of economics who turned to enology, Lynch continues, Yves strikes a fascinating balance between thoughtful intellectual and ardent traditionalist. Since taking over the family domaine in 1993, he has championed the restoration of native Corsican varietals, bringing attention to some long forgotten rarities like Carcaghjolu Biancu, Paga Debiti, Barbarossa and Biancu Gentile, to name a few. The appellation Corse Figari lies along a plateau just inland from the coast, where grapes have been farmed since the 5th century B.C. and even though Figari is regarded as the most ancient growing region of Corsica, it still is way under the radar. Kermit Lynch believes it has taken pioneers like Canarelli to bring it to the world’s attention. If you’ve never had Corsican wines, you must try these Clos Canarelli wines, especially their Corse Figari Rouge, made from 80% Niellucciu, 15% Syrah, 5% Sciaccarellu, and this Corse Figari Blanc Vermentinu, both of which are standard bearers of quality and terroir. In recent years, as I’ve written in some of my reviews, Canarelli has done a limited series of white and reds that are Amphora raised, which are really standouts in his lineup ad I highly recommend searching them out, they are worth the extra pennies, or big bills, but the regular bottlings like this are seriously rewarding too.
($45 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive