Domaine de Vaccelli - Granit 174 - Vintage 2023
In Cognocoli-Monticchi, in the Taravo valley, Domaine de Vaccelli cultivates a vision of Corsican wine where parcel precision counts as much as the energy of the landscape. The Courrèges family has been working the granite arenas of this Ajaccio area since 1961, with constant attention to island grape varieties and their ability to translate the stone, the wind, and the maquis. The Revue du vin de France ranks the estate among the elite of Corsican viticulture, highlighting the mastery of Vermentinu and Sciaccarellu, organic farming since 2008, and certification since 2019. Within this range, Granit 174 holds a special place: a rare, highly sought-after cuvée that condenses the estate's identity into a more taut, vertical, and confidential expression than the entry-level reds. The name immediately evokes the granite bedrock, but also the idea of a wine built on detail, vibration, and length rather than abundance. The RVF also mentions Granit 174 among the estate's notable reds, with many vintages followed and several distinctions in its guide. This 2023 vintage fits into this line of great Corsican reds, capable of combining Mediterranean light with an almost northern finesse.
This cuvée is based on Sciaccarellu, the major grape variety of Ajaccio, which Vaccelli offers here in a particularly refined interpretation. Some sources present Granit 174 as a red wine from Ajaccio made from Sciaccarellu, while others mention a blend dominated by this variety, complemented by Niellucciu and indigenous varieties; prudently, one should primarily retain the central place of Sciaccarellu in the identity of this wine. On the granite arena slopes of the estate, this grape variety does not only produce a fragrant red: it gains tension, relief, and depth of mouthfeel. La Cave du Château describes the Granit red cuvée as one of the island's greatest expressions, resulting from work in concrete eggs and demi-muids, with a Sciaccarellu both graceful and concentrated. The 2023 vintage seems to preserve this fine and energetic line, with a matter that never seeks overload but the intensity of the grain. Granit 174 thus stands out by a rarity that is not only quantitative: it is a wine of precision, patience, and nuance, designed for enthusiasts seeking in Corsican reds something beyond a simple sunny expression. Its personality lies in this tension between delicate perfume, mineral depth, and aging structure.
The robe presents itself in a bright red, with garnet reflections, with a measured intensity that corresponds well to the temperament of Sciaccarellu. The nose opens on crushed strawberry, red cherry, wild raspberry, and blood orange, before revealing notes of peony, fine pepper, maquis herbs, and warm stone, markers regularly associated with Vaccelli's finest granite reds. On the palate, the wine advances with a delicate, almost silky texture, then gradually tightens on a deeper framework, supported by fine tannins and a saline freshness. The balance rests more on length than power, with the sensation of a red that stretches, breathes, and gains precision as it aerates. The finish returns to tangy red fruits, sweet spices, cistus, and a mineral touch that extends the wine with great naturalness. At the table, it will remarkably accompany a herb-crusted rack of lamb, roasted squab, rosemary veal chop, seared bluefin tuna, brocciu cannelloni, or an aged sheep cheese. Served around 15 to 16°C, after slight aeration in its youth, it will better reveal its perfume, grain, and discreet depth that make Granit 174 one of the estate's most sought-after cuvées.
Grape variety: Sciaccarellu
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