A few hours after making landfall in Bastia, I try to get away from there immediately. Cap Corse (AOP) the nor...

A few hours after making landfall in Bastia, I try to get away from there immediately. Cap Corse (AOP) the northern region of the island. Lush green mountains, vineyards on the mountains, sea against vineyards… And it’s soil is very familiar, schist. It is a tiny appellation of 32 hectares in total. (Corsica represents only 1% of the French wine production anyways.) The first stop is Clos Nicrosi, a small farmhouse. They don’t require an appointment. The wine producers here rarely answer your emails or calls… If you don't speak French with the producers on the phone, they sometimes just hung up on you. But do try your luck in this region, Cap Corse. It’s worth to try. Clos Nicrosi’s Vermentinu is one of the most well-known whites from Corsica. Other producers as well as the Corsicans with whom we talk about wines, ask if we’ve already tried this wine. 2022 Vermentinu has a mineral backbone and still very tight on the nose. It’s weightless on the palate, fresh and light-bodied. I’m off to a good start! Frankly, I didn’t know much about the Corsican Vermentinus and never been a Vermentino fan, although it is said to be Riesling’s cousin. Vermentinus indeed can get interesting with its saline component and bitter touch at the end. Most producers on the island make their Vermentinus in steel tanks, just like Nicrosi. Although oak-aged Vermentinus can’t get “AOP” label we taste good examples during our two week stay. Their Rose (60% Sciacarello, 40%Nielluccio) is saline, packed with herbs and red fruit. The winery has started to produce a red version of this rose in 2022. I guess the last sentence says a lot of Cap Corse. Domaine Pieretti is one of six procuders in this appellation. Upon the recommendations from both Clos Nicrosi and wine-shop in Bastia, we taste Pieretti’s wines. This one, Alte Marine, is a reason enough to visit Cap Corse. It’s a layered complex Vermentinu and has great tension. Their vineyards are on steep slopes. Well worth to visit. Wrapping up the trip: Producers: C. Nicrosi, D. Pieretti Wineshops: L’Empreinte Caviste and L’Empreinte Nature in Bastia #corsicanwine #winesofcorsica #corse #capcorse #winediary #winetram #instawine