The Domaine Maestracci ‘E Prove’ 2010 white is a fresh, acid-driven delight, brimming with limey citrus notes tingling the lips, apple and pear fruits in tangy abundance expanding in the mouth, and a long, leisurely finish that lasts until the next sip begins. This is Vermentinu, the primary white grape of Corsica, known as Vermentino in nearby Italy and Rolle in the south of France. It’s a grape that deserves much more prominence and share of mouth than it gets, and the Maestracci is a perfect example of why it excels in Corsica.
The Domaine Maestracci E Prove 2008 red is equally well done. It is an engaging blend of 35% Niellucciu (the Corsican name for Sangiovese, that lovely and prolific grape of Italy), 35% Grenache, the “French” grape that actually originated in Spain, the local variety Sciacarellu (15%), and Syrah (15%.) The wine is aged in stainless steel for one year, then in large foudres (wood barrels) for another year, and finally cellar-aged in bottle for at least six months before release.
This is complex and intriguing, stylistically somewhere between a hearty southern Rhone and a Tuscan Sangiovese blend---which I suppose is precisely what it is, and what Corsica excels in. Lush with black fruit with a delicious, beguiling tarry, earthy tang, structured with minerality, acidity and just enough tannin, this is Mediterranean food wine at its best.
Domaine Maestracci wines are imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants.
For full article:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-wines-of-corsica-domaine-maestracci-e-prove-corse-calvi?cid=db_articles