Vin de Corse Coteaux du Cap Corse is produced under the Vin de Corse appellation of Corsica, specifically from the vineyards on the island's Cap Corse peninsula. This is just one of several key viticultural areas whose names may be appended to the island's catch-all AOC appellation title (the others are Porto-Vecchio, Figari, Sartene and Calvi).
© P. Maxim Massalitin
The 'Cap Corse' in question here is a large peninsula which extends for 25 miles (40km) out into the Ligurian Sea. Geologically speaking, it is a northern extension of the island's mountainous spine, which is capped by the 2,706m Monte Cinto. The peninsula's peaks rise to more than 4300ft (1310m) and then drop rapidly down to sea level over just a few miles. Vineyards located on the lower slopes, and on steep sites surrounding the hillside villages, produce grapes for Vin de Corse Coteaux de Cap Corse, Muscat du Cap Corse and IGP Ile de Beaute wines.
Coteaux du Cap Corse wines may be red, white or rosé, with rosé making up around half of the total output. Red wine accounts for most of the remainder, but a small quantity of white wine is also produced.
The primary grape varieties for the reds and roses are Grenache, Sangiovese (known here as Nielluccio) and Sciaccarello, bolstered by the traditional Corsican varieties Aleatico, Barbarossa, Carcajolo Nero and Minustello (Graciano), along with Mourvedre, Cinsaut and Carignan from southern France. The whites are made from Vermentino, with a splash of Biancu Gentile and Ugni Blanc.
Corsica's climate is, of course, Mediterranean, and this is emphasized by the increased oceanic influence around Cap Corse. With higher sunshine levels than any part of mainland France (and correspondingly low rainfall), the growing season is well suited to productive viticulture; harvest conditions, in particular, are generally excellent. That said, the mountainous topography which characterizes Corsica is further emphasized in the small surface area of the peninsula, resulting in many different mesoclimates.
