Clos Fornelli: the renaissance of Corsican viticulture

That of Clos Fornelli, a winery in Haute Corse, is a story of tenacity, determination and love for its terroir and its oenological expressions. It is thanks to Marcel Vanucci's stubbornness that today we can taste wines that encapsulate the most authentic soul of this corner of the island, in the southern foothills of the Castagniccia. After a decade-long career as an air traffic controller abroad, Vanucci returned to Corsica in 1964 to work on the family farm and continue what had been done by his predecessors, the shepherds Ghiseppu and Saveriu Vanucci, who in the early 1930s had planted vines of Malvasia, Sciavone, Grenache and Niellucciu whose wine was only partly sold locally to private individuals, small traders and in the cellars of Bastia. Along the way, however, Vanucci had to come up against the impositions of the French government, which, following the loss of Algeria and its land, forced the planting of non-native varieties, depriving Corsican viticulture of its authenticity. An uprooting that Vanucci and others resolutely opposed by replanting the vines belonging to this terroir: Malvasia, Niellucciu and Sciaccarellu.

A key figure in the rebirth of Corsican viticulture, Vanucci passed on his passion and determination to his daughter Josée, an agronomist engineer, who, with her husband Fabrice, gave the family estate a further turn by deciding in the early 2000s to no longer give the grapes to a cooperative and to start producing their own cuvées.

The terroir and green practices

Situated in the Corsican hinterland, 10 km as the crow flies from the sea, the Clos Fornelli vineyard grows on the alluvial terraces of the Bravone river, characterised by a clay soil, studded with mixed sands and rich in minerals such as shiny schists, blue schists, metabasalts, quartz and granites: all elements that contribute to the indelible ‘signature’ of the wines of this winery. Depending on the plots, the clay varies in proportion and depth and is a valuable ally for conserving water, which is becoming increasingly scarce. To cope with global warming and the increasing drought, Josée and Fabrice have tried to make the vines at Clos Fornelli more resilient by doing as much as possible without irrigation and deciding not to use herbicides replaced by green fertilisers that increase the fertility of the soil, improving its porosity and water retention capacity. A sustainable approach that looks more to the well-being and preservation of the planet than to an economic return: ‘As long as our vines are not endangered, by not irrigating we are content with sometimes modest yields,’ emphasises Josée Vanucci.

The wines

From the very first harvest, the direction that Josée and Fabrice wanted to imprint on the winery was clear: enhance and focus on indigenous grape varieties, starting with Sciaccarellu. This was a choice that went against the grain compared to the style of red wines produced in Corsica up to that time, for which Niellucciu, Syrah and Grenache were mainly favoured. By vinifying an old parcel of Sciaccarellu, the couple from Clos Fornelli created one of the first 100% Sciaccarellu reds from Haute Corse, which, however, initially struggled to establish itself in its area of production because it was considered too lean and light.

Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu and Vermentinu are the grape varieties at the heart of Clos Fornelli's production, which is also actively engaged in the recovery and gradual reintroduction of ancient and rare varieties rediscovered by the Centre de Recherche Viticole de Corse, such as Biancu Gentile, Minustellu, Codivarta, Riminese and Carcaghjolu.

La Robe d'Ange Rouge

This 100% Sciaccarellu is vinified by Clos Fornelli since 2005 in cement vats using selected indigenous yeasts and without any sulphiting at the beginning of the harvest. After three weeks of maceration of the grapes, the wine matures for 6 to 10 months: the result is a red wine that catches the eye with its light ruby colour, while on the nose the aromatic bouquet is intense, with notes of spices, pepper, rose and red fruits. In the mouth it is very elegant, sunny and with good tension, characteristics considered by many to be atypical for a Mediterranean wine. Fresh and lively, it is long and with an undertone of Mediterranean scrub and spices, making it an ideal accompaniment to grilled fish or meat, sushi and tajines.

La Robe d'Ange Blanc

Obtained from Vermentino grapes, it is a delicious gourmet white wine that matures in various containers (cement vats, steel vats, wooden muid and amphora) where it remains in contact with native yeasts for several months with continuous battonage. Pale and brilliant yellow in colour, it releases aromatic, floral and buttery aromas on the nose: a full-bodied, round and fresh Vermentino to be enjoyed as an aperitif and with seafood, oysters, poultry and Asian dishes.