Country / Region: France / Patrimonio (Corsica)
Grape variety(ies): 100% Niellucciu
In the vineyard: Organic farming. Manual harvest. Grapes from Ravagnola. Orchards located on the east near the sea. Limestone terroir
In the cellar: Spontaneous fermentation, 2 to 3 months maceration. 18 months maturation on concrete . Small amount of sulphite added at bottling.
Quality mark: Biodynamic
In the beautiful landscape of Patrimonio, Corsica lies Clos Marfisi. Patrimonio has a Mediterranean climate and a very special terroir of clay, limestone, schist and alluvium where great terroir wines can be made. The AOC covers 400 hectares, half of which belongs to the two largest producers of the island and the other half is divided among 30 smaller growers. Clos Marfisi has 15 hectares, spread over the south and east facing, steep slopes of Ravagnola, Gritole and Grotte di Sole.
The very first harvest took place in 1870 and now, five generations later, brother and sister Mathieu and Julie are at the helm of this estate. They took over from their father, Touissant, who always kept away from pesticides and other herbicides, unlike many other winegrowers in the area who did make the switch at the time. Julie and Mathieu, like their father, work completely organically and also received the Bio quality mark in 2018. In addition, they still work with the same vines that their father planted 40-50 years earlier, using only local grape varieties. Only indigenous yeasts are used in the wine cellar and the wine is bottled with as little sulphites as possible. And that is necessary, Mathieu is chairman of the AOC Patrimonio and sets an important example for local viticulture, in which he strives to honour the past and at the same time create a responsible and progressive model for the future.