Clos Canarelli - Figari Rouge 2023

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

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 on the limestone terroir of Bonifacio, Tarra di Sognu, the big news is the clearing and planting of a superb new vineyard by and for Simon, his son, who shows every sign of being as a visionary and talented as his father. A flawless year.

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

About the wine:

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, candied fruit, crushed strawberries, well-integrated oak, Mediterranean herbs, a touch of spice and pepper. The mouthfeel is full and dense, with a juicy structure, fine-grained tannins, and a beautifully crafted profile, thanks to its well-managed aging in demi-muids and large oak casks. A balanced wine, suitable for aging, best decanted if drunk young. Age potential: 10 years. 93-94/100

About the estate:

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 in 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 the first vineyard in Bonifacio on a plateau overlooking the town, rich in a limestone rare on the island: thus was born Tarra di Sognu. The wines produced there reveal an immense terroir and gain in intensity 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.