Yves Canarelli has turned this family property into one of Corsica's most dynamic estates. It consists of 38 hectares spread out over the Figari appellation, one of France's sunniest winemaking regions. There, the wind and the proximity to the mountains, however, allow the vines to produce chiselled and balanced wines (despite their richness).
At the estate, all wines are produced according to biodynamic principles, and it doesn’t stop there as Yves Canarelli - who took over his father’s 10 hectare - is on a mission to reintroduce local varieties, the white being Bianco Gentile and the reds Carcaghjolu Neru and Minustellu. Since 2016, the estate has invested in and replanted a plot of five hectares on the Bonifacio plateau.
Clos Canarelli produces two wines that are not to be missed: Terra d'Orazi, a red wine from non-grafted vines that date back to before the phylloxera crisis, and Amphora, a wine vinified in clay amphorae. White wines as well as rosés and reds are enjoyed for their openness and energy. Harmony, minerality and pronounced flavours are also reasons to try these wines. To take the words of French wine guide Bettane & Desseauve, “for the moment, there is now rival for this estate in Corsica.” A producer to follow very closely.


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Elegant and complex, this Figari white opens with delicious floral aromas with hints of white-fleshed fruit. It is a single-variety Vermentinu from a hot, windy terroir with clay-granite soil. The grapes are subjected to a direct pressing and are fermented with a strain of yeast selected by the domaine. The wine is then matured for 8 months in barrels on its lees. This cuvée makes the perfect accompaniment to grilled fish or Corsican cheese. It has a beautiful yellow colour with incredible balance, length and freshness in the mouth. Serve this wine at 12°C with a cod fillet, artichokes or Marengo veal.