2021 Clos Canarelli, Tarra di Sognu, Bonifacio Rouge, Vin de France, Corsica.
This dark garnet and leathery Tarra di Sognu, by Yves Canarelli, one of my all time favorite producers, has a full bodied and robust palate of brambly red fruits, including black raspberry, wild plum, tangy red currant and strawberry fruit, along with lavender, forest floor, stony loam, peppery spice, minty herb and cedary notes. Best enjoyed with meaty cuisine, this wine benefits from air and protein to refine the raw tannin and lift the prettier side of this nicely textural wine.The most authentically Corsican red in the Clos Canarelli lineup is a intriguing Tarra di Sognu, made from a mainly indigenous varietal blend of 50% Carcaghjolu Neru, 40% Sciaccarellu and 10% MinustelluIn, which makes for a unique and impactful, almost like an old school Chateauneuf du Pape. In modern times, this Mediterranean island has gained attention for the fabulous Rosé and Vermentino or Vermentinu, as it is known locally. Corsica is riding high these days, once thought of as a rustic and remote wine producing region, the wines now are cherished for their excellence and uniqueness, in their red wines, as seen here, with wineries like Abbatucci, Leccia and Clos Canarelli being highly coveted. According to Kermit Lynch, Yves Canarelli, since taking over the family domaine in 1993, he has championed the restoration of native Corsican varietals. The appellation Corse Figari lies along a plateau just inland from the coast, where grapes have been farmed since the 5th century B.C. Though Figari is regarded as the most ancient growing region of Corsica, it has still taken pioneers like Yves having the courage to rip out entire vineyards of foreign varietals before Corsican wines have finally received the recognition they deserve. I’ve long followed Clos Canarelli and have tried most all of the wines many, many times, but this was my first chance to sample this Tarra di Sognu and it did not disappoint, it is majestic and earthy, mysterious just like the Island of Corsica itself, and totally seductive.
Clos Canarelli, originally founded in 1968, is an all organic and certified biodynamic estate in the remote village of Tarabucetta, on the outskirts of Figari on the southern tip of Corsica, is one of the Island’s most iconic wineries, crafting white, pink and red wines. According to Canarelli’s importer, the famous Kermit Lynch, who was one of the first to recognize the greatness on Corsica, Yves’s choice to convert the domaine to biodynamic viticulture has has given his wines an unusual freshness, complexity, and aromatic intensity that others in Figari have been unable to achieve. Kermit adds, In the cellar, Yves only uses indigenous yeasts, and prefers slow, deliberate, precise fermentation(s), and leaves his reds unfiltered. This wine, is from a biodynamic plot on chalky limestone in the Bonifacio area, completely different from the granite based soils usually forming the underpinning of the Clos Canarelli wines, setting it apart, along with the set of varietals. For the Tarra di Sognu Bonifacio Rouge, which doesn’t fall into the AOC rules, hence the Vin de France on the label, Canarelli harvests all the grapes cool and does a 100% de-stemming before a lengthy maceration and a natural yeast fermentation in wooden vats. This wine then is pressed and matured for 18 months in large French oak foudres and demi-muids, that allow taming of tannins, but providing transparency of form, as clearly on display in this beautiful and rustically charming Tarra di Sognu Rouge. The two main grapes in this wine, Carcaghjolu Neru, which is a native of the Mediterranean, specifically Corsica and Sardinia, is exceptionally rare, and Sciaccarellu, an ancient Etruscan (Tuscan) varietal, also known as Mammolo and sometimes found in Chianti, came to Corsica thousands of years ago, making this wine the thrill it is! If you’ve not had Clos Canarelli, I highly recommend changing that as soon as possible, I suggest starting with Yves’ classic set of Figari White, Rosé and Red offerings, and then move on to the more exotic stuff, like the Amphora aged Rouge and this one.
($105 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive