Domaine Comte Abbatucci - Général de la Révolution 2023

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

In this historic heartland of the Ajaccio wine region—whose unique collection of old local white grape varieties has raised awareness of the moral and cultural obligation to diversify the grape varieties throughout Corsica—Jean-Charles Abbatucci practices impeccable viticulture with infectious generosity. Recent vintages possess the suppleness, natural character, and smoothness one expects from them, and have shown marked improvement in consistency thanks to the close collaboration between the owner and a remarkable consulting winemaker, Emmanuel Gagnepain. The “Faustine” cuvée shines with pure finesse, and the grand cuvées—“Collection,” “Ministre,” “Général,” and “Diplomate”—offer the refined complexity of their pioneering blend of grape varieties. New cuvées—“Monte-Bianco,” “Alte-Rosso,” and “Valle-di-Nero”—are beginning to be produced, but the estate did not send them to the tasting. That will be for next year.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

Beautifully complex aromas of star anise, fresh verbena, white fruits, apricots, and vine peach, leading into a noble, lively, tangy texture with great energy; flavors include lovely bitter notes that stimulate the salivary glands and prolong the finish. Well-balanced, with a crisp and juicy mouthfeel; the oak aging integrates perfectly and rounds out the whole. This blend of Biancone, Carcaghjolu Biancu, Paga Debiti, Riminese, Rossula Bianca, and Vermentinu—fermented and aged in half-muids of oak for 9 months—has excellent aging potential of six to ten years. 94–96/100

About the estate:

The history of this estate began in the 20th century with a visionary, Antoine Abbatucci, the founder of this vineyard nursery—a true repository of native Corsican grape varieties. Jean-Charles Abbatucci, Antoine’s son, took the estate to the next level (massal selections, rigorous biodynamic practices, rootstocks adapted to the soil and climate, and more). The entry-level wines are remarkable; in the magnificent blends, each grape variety contributes its own aromas, freshness, body, or texture: the wines are easy to drink and refined, thanks to the estate’s refusal to over-intervene, and the aging process has been refined through the use of large oak casks and concrete “eggs.”

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The Vermentino, Rosso Brandinca, Riminese, Carcajolo Bianco, Biancone, and Paga Debiti grape varieties are harvested and vinified together on the granite terraces located between Ajaccio and Sartène to produce this exceptional wine, the Général de la Révolution 2023. It displays unprecedented aromatic complexity—highly mineral, very pure, and, ultimately, unique. The same is true on the palate, with a light, crystalline, and highly distinctive wine of nearly perfect balance! What splendor. It will reach its peak between 2035 and 2040.