2018 Clos Fornelli Vermentinu Vin de Corse Blanc Corsica 750 ml

Corsica Rising: A Stunning White From the Isle of Beauty

Exclusive to Wine Access, we have a hotly sought-after white wine scarcely found anywhere else in the U.S.. The Clos Fornelli Blanc from the French island of Corsica is a stony, bright, lime-scented, thirst-quencher that will be a smash hit at your dinner table, especially at today’s under-$20 price. If you love steely French wines or the mineral finesse of Italian whites, this is for you.

The New York Times has called Corsica “one of the most exciting and distinctive wine regions in the world,” and the Vermentino grape perfectly captures the terroir of the sun-splashed island. The result is a mouthwatering white wine that is easy to empty before the entrées hit the table. No wonder so many Michelin-star restaurants pour Corsican wines today, including The French Laundry, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and Eleven Madison Park.

We’re not ashamed to say that Corsica sent us into research mode. While technically French, it is actually closer to Italian shores, and has a culture all its own. The street signs display directions in both Corsican and French, with the French often graffitied out in a display of island pride, and their spelling of Vermentino—which is Vermentin-u—ignited an hour-long argument with our spell-checker. But the Corsicans’ fierce independence has catapulted the island to renown, as its wine producers specialize in white wines that blend the focus and finesse you expect from the Loire with the handcrafted rusticity of Sicily.

Over the past decade, Corsican wines have caught fire among critics and sommeliers, picking up an almost cultish adherence among wine world tastemakers. “The level of quality from the best producers in Corsica is now superb,” says The New York Times’ Eric Asimov, while Decanter has called Corsica “right now among the most exciting wine destinations in France.”

José Vanucci and her husband Fabrice Couloumère are among the group of top Corsican winemakers striving to capture the spirit of this land. On their 44 acres of organically farmed vineyards, the looming mountains keep nights cool, which maintains freshness in the grapes. Yields are kept low and after harvest grapes are treated with the utmost gentleness, put through a pneumatic press and fermented in stainless steel vats.