Vin de Corse Sartene is produced under the generic Vin de Corse appellation of Corsica, specifically from the villages around Sartene, in the south-west. The Vin de Corse appellation is divided into a number of sub-regions, corresponding to five key viticultural areas of Corsica: Porto-Vecchio, Figari, Calvi, Cap Corse and Sartene itself.
The Sartene title covers the vineyards of several communes in the south-western corner of the island. Although the area is still distinctly hilly and scrubby, the topography here is more relaxed than elsewhere. The main spine of Corsica's mountains runs from Monacia d'Aullene, just east of Sartene, to the north-western corner of the island near Calvi. The foothills around Sartene – and the valleys between them – create a patchwork of mesoclimates. The Rizzanese river valley is one example.
Vin de Corse Sartene wines are red, white and rose, with rose making up around half of the total output. Reds account for most of the remainder, but a small quantity of white is also produced.
The primary grape varieties for the reds and roses are Grenache, Nielluccio (the local name for Sangiovese) and Sciaccarello. These are bolstered by the traditional Corsican varieties Aleatico, Barbarossa, Carcajolo Nero and Minustello (Graciano), as well as Mourvedre, Cinsaut and Carignan from the south of France.
Corsica's climate is, of course, Mediterranean, with higher sunshine levels (and correspondingly low rainfall) than any part of mainland France. The growing season here is well suited to productive viticulture; harvest conditions, in particular, are generally excellent. That said, the mountainous topography creates many varied mesoclimates, emphasizing and moderating the various climatic influences that result from the island's latitude, maritime location and altitude.
