Marie-Charlotte Pinelli, Domaine Pinelli, Patrimonio
AOC: Patrimonio, Vin de France
Varieties: Muscat à Petit Grains, Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, Vermentinu
Viticulture: Certified Organic (Agriculture Biologique)
Size: 5 hectares
Terroir: Limestone, Granite
Varieties: Muscat à Petit Grains, Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, Vermentinu
Viticulture: Certified Organic (Agriculture Biologique)
Size: 5 hectares
Terroir: Limestone, Granite
Though one of the youngest vignerons within the Selection Massale family, Marie-Charlotte Pinelli is proving to be an incredibly talented, thoughtful, and hardworking force on the island of Corsica. Since beginning her domaine, she has obtained organic certification, planted 3.5 hectares of new vines (nielluciu, sciaccarellu, and vermentinu), and has begun the process of constructing an underground cellar on the steep slopes of her family estate.
Marie-Charlotte’s grandfather was a winemaker on the island, however her father decided to go into business rather than continue to work in the vines, though it was always his dream. When she had the choice to move to Paris to study architecture, she faced the same decision and, not without hesitation, ultimately decided to pack up and make the move. This would all change when her father took over a small parcel of muscat, which was planted in 2001, and she dropped everything to move back home to help him vinify their first wine in the cellar of Nicolas Mariotti Bindi, one of the masters of natural winemaking in Patrimonio. This was in 2015 when she was nineteen years old.
Marie-Charlotte’s grandfather was a winemaker on the island, however her father decided to go into business rather than continue to work in the vines, though it was always his dream. When she had the choice to move to Paris to study architecture, she faced the same decision and, not without hesitation, ultimately decided to pack up and make the move. This would all change when her father took over a small parcel of muscat, which was planted in 2001, and she dropped everything to move back home to help him vinify their first wine in the cellar of Nicolas Mariotti Bindi, one of the masters of natural winemaking in Patrimonio. This was in 2015 when she was nineteen years old.
After an internship with Nicolas, she was ready to strike out on her own using what she had learned and applied it to the aforementioned parcel of muscat. All wines are fermented naturally, without enzymes, fining, or anything she deems as detrimental to the wine. She is also a believer in “traditional work”, so all grapes are harvested by hand and are pressed in a small vertical basket press. Muscat is raised entirely in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and the reds will be raised in old foudre.
She believes, as her father and grandfather taught her, that great wine is made in the vineyard, so it seemed obvious to her to obtain her AB organic certification. This is not to mention that Corsica is almost heaven for growing grapes. Her muscat vines are planted on limestone, yet her new vineyard is higher in elevation on granite, an interesting difference within Patrimonio.
For now, she is focused on making what is essentially the best muscat we have had the pleasure of tasting and renting a couple parcels of niellucciu until her vines for making red, white, and rosé wines have matured enough to harvest. What is incredibly interesting, to us, is that she has no interest in fortifying her wines, which is the tradition and requirement for the Patrimonio AOP. She instead takes the Vin de France designation with absolutely no regrets.
She believes, as her father and grandfather taught her, that great wine is made in the vineyard, so it seemed obvious to her to obtain her AB organic certification. This is not to mention that Corsica is almost heaven for growing grapes. Her muscat vines are planted on limestone, yet her new vineyard is higher in elevation on granite, an interesting difference within Patrimonio.
For now, she is focused on making what is essentially the best muscat we have had the pleasure of tasting and renting a couple parcels of niellucciu until her vines for making red, white, and rosé wines have matured enough to harvest. What is incredibly interesting, to us, is that she has no interest in fortifying her wines, which is the tradition and requirement for the Patrimonio AOP. She instead takes the Vin de France designation with absolutely no regrets.
WINES
Patrimonio Blanc: Vermentinu from a parcel planted in 1982 in clay and limestone soils. Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel.
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VdF Rouge: Sciaccarellu, Grenache, and Niellucciu, all de-stemmed. Very short maceration in tank before pressing back into stainless steel. A light, quaffable everyday wine.
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Muscat Liquoreux: 100% muscat à petit grains hand-harvested with the potential ABV of 16%-19% depending on where in the plot the vines sit (the lower potential ABV is necessary to maintain acidity). A long fermentation is the norm, and it stops naturally before being racked into another stainless steel tank for aging. This is an incredible, and elegant effort from such a young winemaker.
60g of RS and 50ppm at bottling |
Impassitu: Also 100% muscat à petit grains that is allowed to raisin on the vine before harvesting by hand and pressing long and slow overnight. It is then fermented and aged in stainless steel resulting in a decadent, yet supremely balanced wine.