Vaccelli Rouge 2020

A small family winery responsible for leading Corsica’s viticultural renaissance since the 1960s, Alain Courrèges and his son, Gérard, have established Domaine de Vaccelli as one of the island’s must-have allocations.

Taking over his father’s vineyards on Ajaccio’s rugged, granitic hillsides in 1974, Alain recognised the potential of Corsica’s native varieties Vermentinu and Sciaccarellu to craft beautiful and terroir-driven fine wines. He renovated the family winery, built a new underground cellar, and slowly grew his holdings. The 18ha estate, which includes some of the island’s oldest vines, is now farmed organically and worked entirely by hand.

Fermented with native yeasts and aged in a combination of stainless steel, barriques, and concrete eggs, Vaccelli’s whites match sumptuous weight with ripe Amalfi lemon notes and pin-sharp mineral definition. Its reds are generous, yet ethereal, and show complex herbal nuances from the local maquis scrubland. While accessible in youth, they are built to age gracefully.

Highly rated and sought after among sommeliers and collectors in France – bottles are now commonly spotted next to the likes of Domaine des Miroirs and Selosse in line-ups at baller wine dinners – Domaine de Vaccelli is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves elsewhere.

With fewer than 7,000 cases made each year, these Corsican gems are rarely seen in the UK – this is your opportunity to try the latest offering from the domaine.

From two different plots of old-vine Sciaccarellu. Charming, spicy red fruit is framed by fine tannins and herbal lift.