Clos Canarelli - Figari Rouge 2023

Yves Canarelli cultivates more than 30 hectares using biodynamic methods in the Figari and Bonifacio regions, selecting from among the Corsican grape varieties best suited to his taste and terroir. The new winery allows for winemaking in a variety of containers: amphorae, concrete eggs, barrels, and large casks. After creating his grand cru, Tarra di Sognu, on the limestone terroir of Bonifacio, the big news is the clearing and planting of a superb new vineyard by and for Simon, his son, who is proving to be as talented a winemaker as his father. A flawless year all around.

This is the estate’s flagship wine, reformulated for this vintage with equal parts Niellucciu and Sciaccarellu, complemented by 18% Carcaghjolu Neru and 2% Syrah. Colorful, intense, carmine red; a ripe nose with candied fruit, crushed strawberries, well-integrated oak, Mediterranean scrub herbs, and hints of spice and pepper. The texture on the palate is full-bodied and dense, with a juicy structure, fine-grained tannins, and beautifully crafted—thanks to its aging in demi-muids and well-managed large oak casks. A balanced wine, suitable for aging, though it should be decanted if drunk young. Age potential: 10 years. 93–94/100

Yves Canarelli has established himself as the leading winemaker in southern Corsica, with a passion for ampelography (the old grape varieties Biancu Gentile, Carcaghjolu Neru, and Minustellu have been replanted). In 2009, he acquired a plot of pre-phylloxera vines near the village of Orasi (the “Tarra d’Orasi” cuvée) and produces two superb wines in large clay amphorae (Amphora). In partnership with the renowned Corsican sommelier Patrick Fioramonti, Yves Canarelli replanted Bonifacio’s first vineyard on a plateau overlooking the town, rich in a type of limestone rare on the island: thus Tarra di Sognu was born. The wines produced there reveal an immense terroir and gain in complexity as the vines age. With the arrival of his son, Simon-Paul, they are writing the finest chapters in the island’s new winemaking history.