Domaine Comte Abbatucci Faustine Rouge 2023

Domaine Comte Abbatucci Faustine Rouge is a granite grown Corsican red, seventy per cent Sciaccarellu with Niellucciu making up the balance.

Jean-Charles Abbatucci farms around twenty hectares at Casalabriva in the Taravo valley of south west Corsica, on decomposed granite, working biodynamically with horses for ploughing and sheep grazing between the rows. His father Antoine spent the 1960s gathering cuttings of Corsican grape varieties that had all but disappeared from the island and planted them in a conservatory parcel, and that collection still underpins the estate. Sciaccarellu takes its name from the crunch of its berries and gives a pale, peppery, low tannin red closer in weight to Grenache than to anything Bordelais, while Niellucciu, the Corsican name for Sangiovese, adds acidity and grip. The fruit is hand picked and fermented with indigenous yeast in vat, then raised without new oak so the granite and the varieties speak plainly.

Peppery and fresh, and good with a slight chill, it suits charcuterie, grilled lamb and Corsican cheeses; serve at 15 to 16 degrees.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.