The AOC Patrimonio (or Patrimoniu in Corsican) covers a terroir of about 400 cultivable hectares (excluding vines dedicated to the AOC Muscat-du-Cap-Corse) located around the Gulf of Saint-Florent and on the beginning of the slopes of Nebio.
A mountain terroir protected from the winds
At the foot of the west coast of Corsica, on the heights of the Gulf of Saint Florent, an 8 million year old limestone cirque was formed at the border of the schistose and granitic corses. This land, swept by the 5 dominant winds of the island, is characterized by a great geological diversity
It is an area well protected from the winds by the surrounding mountains. The northern part of the vineyard is located in a place sheltered from the strong northeast winds. In rainy periods, the wind dries the berries and thus ensures a healthy harvest. In the dry summer months, the humid maritime air compensates for the lack of water. During the night, in the south of the appellation, the cool air, up to 1,000 meters of altitude, provides the vineyard with a balanced climate with a slightly shifted growth period.
Endemic grape varieties of Corsica: Niellucciu and Malvasgia
The typicality of the AOC is also found in its 2 main varieties: Niellucciu and Malvasgia, others came later to enrich this ampelography: muscat, biancu gentile, carcaghjolu neru, morescone, minustellu...
Patrimonio red, powerful red wines
The massive use of niellucio (at least 60% in the blends made with other typically Corsican grape varieties) gives sumptuous red wines, powerful and persistent in mouth. They offer aromas of red and black fruits, combined with light notes of wood, spices or vanilla, which will be sublimated by a few years of keeping (3 to 7 years).
To discover the red wines of Antoine-Marie Arena : click here
To discover the red wines of Jean-Baptiste Arena : click here
Patrimonio white, aromatic white wines
The AOC Patrimonio whites, which must be made exclusively from vermentino, are dry whites of great aromatic subtlety, bouquet and elegance, with a pale yellow color and notes of flowers and apples.
To discover the white wines of Antoine-Marie Arena: click here
To discover the white wines of Jean-Baptiste Arena : click here
The AOC Patrimonio prohibits synthetic chemical weed killers
It is official, the Corsican appellation of Patrimonio is now the first appellation in France to have included in its specifications the ban on synthetic chemical weed killers. All the vineyard soils of Patrimonio will have to be worked mechanically from now on, whether it is the vines in place or the young plantations, and there will be no more glyphosate in the vines and not only in the inter-rows but also under the row. This is a first step before 100% of the appellation goes organic.
