The Wildness of Beauty IV

(Continued from “The Wildness of Beauty III” on 24 April 2015)

In the 16th century, Corsica became a major battleground for Habsburg Spain and Valois France over the control of the Italian Peninsula, and Franco-Spanish animosity reached such a point that France would opt for an alliance with the non-Christian Ottomans.
If there is one single wine-producing region whose culture and history incorporate so many dramatic elements such as ambition, betrayal, hope, mercy and vengeance, it would be Corsica, whose plot resembles a combination of Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) and Jean Giono’s The Horseman on the Roof (1951).
For Corsica, the 18th century exploded in 1729, when the island’s struggle for independence – from the maritime Republic of Genoa – began, initially led by Luigi Giafferi and continued by Giacinto Paoli, whose son Pasquale Paoli later became a Corsican legend, second only to Napoleon Bonaparte. Subsequent to three decades of struggle, the independent Corsican Republic was proclaimed by Pasquale Paoli, who drafted the island’s first constitution in Italian, while pockets of Genoese influence still persisted.
Drama unfolded in 1767 when Genoa, depleted and exhausted by decades of fighting, intended to cede – or sell – Corsica to France, which was desperate to re-assert its dominance in the Mediterranean subsequent to suffering defeat in the Seven Years’ War. The cession – or sale – of Corsica was completed in the form of the lesser-known Treaty of Versailles of 1768. As Genoa no longer had actual control over the island, France had to take it by force, resulting in the Corsican Crisis and French victory despite British protests and secret aid.
Subsequent to the French Revolution, the exiled Pasquale Paoli returned to Corsica from Britain. Collaborating with Britain, Corsica briefly established itself as the independent Anglo-Corsican Kingdom from 1794 to 1796. Napoleon Bonaparte used to be a supporter of Pasquale Paoli, but as he rapidly rose to power in mainland France, his government seemed to neglect his native island. Towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814, Corsica was occupied by Britain, and later returned to the restored Bourbon monarchy. Still culturally attached to Italy in the 1st half of 18th century, the Corsicans had much sympathy for the Italian Risorgimento. It was not until the reign the Napoleon III – nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte – that Corsica became francicised to any significant degree.

   Clos Canarelli Rosé 2013
A blend of Sciaccarello, Nielluccio and Grenache from Corse-Figari AOC. Luminous tangerine with light sunglow reflex, the intriguing nose effuses cranberry, white cherry, bacon and wild rose. With lively acidity and attractive tannins, the dynamic palate provides red apple peel, lime, hami melon and orange blossom. Medium-bodied at 13%, the neat entry evolves into an animated mid-palate, leading to a lengthy finish.

Domaine Orenga de Gaffory Cuvée Félice 2012
A single-varietal old-vine Nielluccio from Patrimonio AOC. Rich garnet with cardinal-ruby rim, the fragrant nose emanates blackberry, damson, bouquet garni, vanilla spice and maquis. With plentiful acidity and tasty tannins, the exuberant palate presents black cherry, prune, clove, game and cedarwood. Medium-full bodied at 13.5%, the expressive entry carries onto a redolent mid-palate, leading to a lingering finish.

Clos Canarelli Amphora 2013
A blend of Nielluccio, Sciaccarello and Corsican native varieties from Corse-Figari AOC. Bright garnet with cardinal-carmine rim, the aromatic nose offers black cherry, prune, clove, cocoa and maquis. With generous acidity and ripe tannins, the potent palate delivers cassis, damson, allspice, forest mushroom and sandalwood. Medium-full bodied at 13%, the supple entry continues through an energetic mid-palate, leading to a spiced finish.

Domaine Orenga de Gaffory Impassitu Muscat 2010
A vin doux naturel made of botrytised Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains from Muscat du Cap-Corse AOC. Deep amber with gleaming tawny reflex, the opulent nose radiates sultana, sweet ginger, crystallised mandarin, marzipan, butterscotch and musk. With abundant acidity, the indulgent palate oozes hami melon, dried mango, cinnamon, caramel, Stollen and osmanthus. Fully sweet, unctuously textured and full-bided at 16%, the evocative entry persists through a spiced mid-plate, leading to a lingering finish. Jacky I.F. Cheong

To be continued one day…

To discover the charm of the Island of Beauty, contact Mr Vincent Cervoni of the Corsican Wine Board (Asia); W: www.asia.vinsdecorse.com; E: vincent@vinsdecorse.com

Jacky I.F. Cheong is a legal professional by day and columnist by night. Having spent his formative years in Britain,
France, and Germany, he regularly writes about wine, fine arts, classical music, and politics in several languages