The entwined fates and grapes of Corsica and Sardinia

June/July 2015: Separated by just 12 kilometres of the Strait of Bonifacio, Corsica and Sardinia (south of former), though now being part of France and Italy respectively, were both under Roman rule for almost 700 years once upon a time.

 

source: www.wikipedia.org

Corsica, the 4th largest island in the Mediterranean, was first colonised by the Phoenicians and had been under Etruscan and Carthaginian influence until 237 BC when it came under the Roman Empire. Amongst other changes, the Romans installed Latin as the language of the island. All changed in AD 430 when the Romans were defeated by the Germanic Vandals. After Pepin the Short, Frank King Charlemagne’s father, successfully expelled the Lombards from the island, he gave it to Pope Stephen II. In the 11th Century, the island came under the protection of the Pisans who had successfully defended the island against the Arabs. Tuscan influence started to dominate the island, including the local language spoken in the northern part of the island, which bore much resemblance to the Tuscan language. Many years of fighting ensued and after the defeat of the Pisans by the Genoese in the Battle of Meloria in 1284, Corsica eventually fell under Genoese control, much contested by the King of Aragon who had been promised the island by the Pope in 1296. 

Genoese control lasted around 5 centuries, during which time both Aragon and France had made many attempts to take over control of the island. Short-lived peace came when the Genoese ceded administrative control to the Bank of Saint George in 1450, before the island became embroiled in the fight between Spain and France for supremacy of Italy. In 1553, Genoese control was reinstated and in return for improved living conditions and diet for the Corsican people and reinforced defense against the pirates from North Africa, it levied heavy taxes which eventually led to the Corsican Revolution for Independence in 1729. The Corsican Republic under the leadership of Pasquale Paoli was instituted in 1755 while the Genoese still had limited coastal strongholds. After the conquest of Capraia by the Corsicans, the Genoese decided to sell the island to France in 1767 and ceded all rights to the island in 1768 following the Treaty of Versailles. The French were naturally met with resistance by the Corsicans and it took the French victory at the Battle of Ponte Novu before Corsica succumbed to French rule. This episode did not just end here. When Pasquale Paoli returned from exile in Britain to Corsica in 1789 during the French Revolution, he invited the British to intervene with the French rule. Anglo-Corsican forces drove away the French forces for a short while. With Spain entering into the war, the British withdrew and Corsica reverted to French rule in 1796. 

Nicknamed l’Ile de Beauté or Island of Beauty, two-thirds of the landmass of Corsica is mountainous and boasts one of Europe’s most famous hiking trails (GR20) and a UNESCO World Heritage site of nature reserve inside its natural park (Scandola Nature Reserve). With such mountainous landscape, it features 3 distinct ecological zones – Mediterranean coastal (below 600 metres), temperate montane (600 – 1,800 metres) and Alpine (1,800 – 2,700 metres). The highest point is Monte Cinto at 2,706 metres. The local maquis (or machja in local language or shrubland) could be held responsible for the aromatics of its wines. The island enjoys 2,885 hours of sunshine in a year.

 

source: www.enoteca.com.au

Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, is now an autonomous region of Italy. Sardinia, like Corsica, had been favoured by the Phoenicians as an important source of lead and silver, as well as its strategic positioning in the Mediterranean Sea. The Phoenicians sought the help of the Carthaginians to overcome the resistance by the locals towards their colonisation. In 238 BC, Carthage was defeated by the Romans in the First Punic War and thus surrendered both Corsica and Sardinia. The Vandals conquered Sardinia in AD 456. In AD 533, it became part of the Eastern Roman Empire (or the Byzantine Empire). By the 10th Century, a group of autonomous rulers called giudci (or in Sardinian judikes) had emerged in Sardinia. Initially 5, the giudicati became consolidated into 4, and were constantly the subjects of contest between the Genoese and the Pisans, and later the Kingdom of Aragon.

The Giudicato of Cagliari’s alliance with the Republic of Genoa was brought to an end in 1258. The territory was divided between Pisa, the della Gherardesca family and the Giudicati of Arborea e Gallura.

The Giudicato of Logudoro (sometimes called Torres) was also allied to the Republic of Genoa but came to an end in 1259 after the death of the judikessa (queen) Adelasia.

The Giudicato of Gallura ended in the year 1288, when the last giudice, Nino Visconti, was driven out by the Pisans.

The Giudicato of Arborea, with Oristano as its capital, had a longer life compared to the other giudicati. Thanks to the effort of Eleanor of Arborea, it tried to unify the island into a single Sardinian state (Republica Sardisca) against their relatives and former Aragonese allies.


In 1324, after a military campaign led by the Catalan-Aragonese Crown Prince Alfonso, the hypothetical Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica that had been created by Pope Boniface VIII in 1297 as a political bargain in return for peace in Sicily, officially became the dominion of the Kingdom of Aragon. The Arboreans had control of almost one third of the island and had fought against the Crown of Aragon and secured more control with Genoese support. The Arborean control gradually diminished following the death of Eleanor of Arborea in 1404 and the defeat of the Sardinians by the King of Sicily (and heir to Crown of Aragon) in 1409. The ownership of Sardinia was eventually passed to King Charles I of Spain, following the marriage of Ferdinand II to Isabel of Castille. Sardinia remained under Spanish rule for over 400 years, from 1323 to 1708, thus leaving a legacy of cultural and linguistic influences. In 1718, Sardinia having survived a brief period of Austrian rule, was passed into the hands of the House of Savoy. The Italian Wars of Independence resulted in the unification of Italy and in 1861, the government of Sardinia decided to adopt the King of Italy as its king.


The entwined fates of Corsica and Sardinia and documented history have provided a feasible explanation for the origins of Corsican and Sardinian grape varieties.

 

Corsica and Sardinia both share the white grape variety of Vermentino, supposedly to have come from Spain to Sardinia via Corsica. In Sardinia, a number of versions exist. The 2013 Pigalva Vermentino di Sardegna DOC by Giovanni Cherchi is an elegantly fruit-focused rendition of this variety, showing herbal, almond, lightly frangipane and citrus nuances, highlighting crisp acidity and a saline finish that reminds of sea spray, due to proximity of the vineyard to the northwestern coast of Sardinia. (Chef Marco Maggio brilliantly paired this with a Catalan lobster carpaccio dish at a wine tasting dinner organised by Italy Small Vineyards.)

 

Azienda Vinicola Cherchi is based in Usini, in Logudoro. Established in 1970, it now has 30 hectares of vineyards planted at 200 metres, with 55% Vermentino and the rest between Canuglari and Cannonau. Proximity to the sea not only gives rise to certain distinct aromatics but also air circulation for the vines against humidity and diseases, thus contributing to the limited use of chemical products. Though experiencing declining planting across the island, due to its low productivity and difficulty to cultivate, Canuglari with its compact clusters and thin skin, is much valued by Giovanni Cherchi who has been able to turn this grape variety into respectable wine. 

Cannonau is the local name for Garnacha/Grenache, reflecting its Spanish influence. I tried the 2012 Cannonau di Sardegna DOC with aromas of red cherry, plum preserve, liquorice and earthy nuance, fleshy body and balanced acidity.

 

Another impressive version is the 2010 Li Pastini Vermentino di Gallura DOCG by Cantina Li Seddi, showing savoury complexities of lanolin, pine, fern and honey, with just a hint of phenolics (possibly from limited skin contact?) to give texture and structure, balanced with vibrant acidity. Very low yield of grapes from sandy soils near the sea. Cantina Li Seddi is based in Badesi, in Gallura. (The chef had paired this with fregola with seafood sauce and tiger prawns.)

 

An interesting version was also tasted: a Metodo Classico sparkling Vermentino di Sardegna by Giovanni Cherchi.


I tried a couple of Corsican wines at Vinexpo. I very much admired the red of Domaine Comte Peraldi. Vines were first planted at this domaine in the 17th Century, when it was the property of Papal legate, Monseigneur Mario Felice Peraldi. When he died, his grand nephew Jean Peraldi inherited the estate. At the death of Jean, his daughter Germaine inherited. Germaine was married to Comte Charles de Poix. Germaine's daughter Bénédicte de Lussac who had inherited the vineyard, did not show much interest in her inheritance and sold it to her brother, Louis de Poix in July 1965. Louis de Poix became fervently passionate about the vines and rallied the support of other growers to fight for the granting of AOC Ajaccio, which was finally awarded in 1971. Louis diligently set off a series of viticultural and vinification improvements, to achieve the best quality possible. In 1988, endowed with such family history and expertise, Louis's son Guy took over and succeeded in building on the family heritage and passing onto his 4 children upon his decease in 2011.

 

The red Domaine Comte Peraldi that I tried was a blend of 60% Sciaccarello and 20% Nielluccio. Cinsault and Carignan making up the remaining 20%. Elegantly structured with refreshing acidity, purity of ripe fruit, with alluring aromas of bay leaf and pepper and velvety tannins. Nielluccio is genetically identical to Sangiovese, whereas Sciaccarello is the same as Mammolo from Tuscany, typically used as a minor component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Mammole is the word for violets, accounting for the floral quality of this grape.


The white from Domaine Peraldi would be 100% Vermentino, but I didn't get the chance to try it at Vinexpo.

I tried instead a rosé by Clos Venturi, which showed a nice texture and structure. Clos Venturi, owned by the family Venturi-Acquaviva, is the highest vineyard in Corsica, located at the centre of the island. The vines are grown according to organic or biodynamic principles.

Corsica is a large producer of rosé wines, relevant to its production volume (I understand that more than 75% of  its IGP production is rosé) - from what I tasted, the colour seems a bit deeper than Provencal rosé, with similar freshness and a little more body and weight.