Description

One of the best wine highlights of our recent trip to Corsica was being able to drink a bottle of this glorious vermentino side-by-side with a rare bottle of his legendary father’s 2021 “Carco” at Saint Florent’s temple of gastronomy La Gaffe.

Antoine-Marie is the son of Patrimonio’s legendary pioneer and “Godfather” of viticulture and winemaking Antoine Arena.  Antoine-Marie studied viticulture and enology in Hyères and further broadened his competences with internships in both Burgundy and Provence. In the early 2000s, he and his brother Jean-Baptiste joined their father at the domaine full-time.

Beginning with the 2014 vintage, the Arenas divided their holdings evenly between Antoine, Antoine-Marie, and Jean-Baptiste. The decision came naturally: in a typically Corsican spirit of self-reliance, independence and tradition. They easily agreed as to how to divide up the Arena holdings with each claiming his favorite parcels to look after separately.

Antoine-Marie continues to embrace his father’s philosophy—farming organically and applying a light hand in the cellar. He shares his father’s innovative vision and creativity. The highly unusual, yet strikingly delicious “Hauts de Carco”, a skin-macerated infusion of Vermentino from his steepest, rockiest, and most windy vineyard has become one of the regions most prized wines.  This wine is sourced from a one hectare, very steep hillside vineyard carved and blasted from where pine and olive trees once flourished.  The vineyard which was planted in 2003 is strewn with large chalky limestone stones containing marine fossils.

All the grapes are hand harvested. The fermentation is with indigenous yeast. The primary and secondary fermentation both take place in stainless steel.  The is a true and pure, transparent, crystalline expression of Vermentino showcasing Carco’s most barren terroir.  The saline minerality and acidity sing in perfect harmony!  Intense with great laser-like precision and focus.  Absolutely salivating, this is the ultimate oyster-shellfish wine!