Corsican Wine With Ties To France And Italy

The term ADN in wine, I'm told, is basically the French way to say DNA. When winemakers put ADN on the label, they're saying the juice in the bottle is the genetic code for their terroir, the purest expression of the grapes. Hopefully that explains the label correctly.

Emmanuel Gagnepain and David Risoul produce a wine they call A.D.N. The 2019 vintage is a French wine from the island of Corsica, which hangs in the Tyrrhennian Sea between France and Italy. It is a bit west of Elba (as in the Able Was I Ere I Saw palindrome.) Patrimonio Rouge is the appellation, in the northern part of the island.

A.D.N. is a blend of two native Corsican grapes, Niellucciu (related to Sangiovese) and Sciaccarellu (fresh and aromatic.) There may be a bit of Grenache in there, too. The information was a little sketchy. This wine was vinified and aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness of the grapes. Alcohol is shown on label as either 11% or 14% abv and it sells for around $31.

The wine has a rich ruby color. The nose is all about ripe, red fruit. Strawberry, cherry, plum, and blueberry notes abound, all very fresh due to the tank aging. On the palate, we find those fruits repeated, except with a dressing of earthy minerals on them. The tannins are semi-firm and the acidity is bright. This wine will take a chill well, and will be a great pairing with backyard barbecues this summer. 

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Discover New (To You) Grapes In Corsican Wine

If you keep track of the grapes you've tried, you should look into wines from Corsica. You're just about guaranteed to find a grape you have yet to try. You'll probably find a few you've never even heard of before.

Clos Venturi is Corsican, and their 2021 Le Clos Rouge is made from 50% Nielluccio, 40% Sciaccarellu, and 10% Carcaghjolu grapes. See? I told you.

Jean-Marc Venturi and his son Emmanuel make the wine on this French island, which is closer to Italy than France. The Mediterranean isle has been under French rule since the 18th century.

The grapes grow in sandstone soil on vines which are 30 years old. The estate in central Corsica is organic and biodynamic. The wine was fermented in oak casks and aged in oak for a year, more or less. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and the wine retails for around $40.

This wine is a medium-dark red with good clarity. The nose brings a boatload of cherry, black cherry, and plum aromas, with herbal notes and a faint trace of barnyard. The palate is all about the red fruit. Tannins are healthy, acidity is fresh. 

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The Nielluccio Grape From Corsica

A restaurant with a good wine list is something to cherish. In Los Angeles, where I find favorite restaurants closing up shop with increasing regularity, that is doubly true. Little Next Door is billed online at "the best French restaurant in Hollywood," although it’s not actually in Hollywood. The Third Street location puts it right along with many other eateries in the food-rich area, but it is definitely not just another resto. It’s casual and fancy at the same time and offers an outdoor seating area that is predictably popular with the L.A. crowd.

The wine list is understandably French-heavy, but there are some gems from other areas, too. I spied a Moroccan wine, which I had tasted some months ago, in the wall-display behind our table. For this meal we both enjoyed a pink wine from Corsica.

Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean, just north of Sardegna. It is a French territory, but it has a lot of similarities to Italy due to its location. There are nine wine regions on the island.

The Domaine Poli rosé is labelled on the list as l'Île de Beauté, which means "island of beauty," I'm told. It's a faintly copper-colored rosé made with organically-grown Nielluccio grapes. That variety is widely planted on Corsica and used primarily for rosé. It is also speculated that it might actually be Sangiovese in disguise. The wine has a fresh nose and a palate to match, with lovely acidity. Grapefruit and strawberry flavors mingle delightfully.


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