Domaine de Vaccelli sits in the south of Corsica, in the Taravu Valley between Ajaccio and Propriano. The estate was founded in the 1960s by the Courrèges family following Algeria’s declaration of independence. The experienced winemakers, who previously owned an estate in Médéa, south-west of Algiers, planted new vines and uprooted the old ones.
Today, the estate stretches over some 20 hectares, fairly evenly divided between red and white grape varieties. Vines include Sciaccarello, Carcaghjolu Neru, Minustellu, Grenache Noir, Vermentino and several white varieties. In other words, a savvy blend of local grape varieties, complemented by Grenache Noir. The vines average 30 years and are hand-harvested. The estate was certified organic in 2019.
Today, the estate is still family-run and managed by Nathalie and Gérard Courrèges, with the latter also being the cellar master. In addition, Emmanuel Gagnepain is their appointed oenologist. The estate’s underground cellar, which dates back to 1990, provides excellent storage and ageing conditions for the vintages, some of which are aged in oak casks.

This cuvée, as is suggested by its name, comes from a terroir rich in quartz. The native varietals used to make it – Carcaghjolu blianco, Rimenese, Cudiverta, and Ghjenuvese – were grown organically and matured in large containers. Vinification involves direct pressing and a year-long maturation on lees in 400- and 600-litre casks. The domain finishes this process with a 2-month maturation in steel vats, followed by a further 5 months once in the bottle. The idea is for the wine to express the identity of its origins in cuvées that are ready to uncork once they leave the winery.
Made in limited quantities, this cuvée has an impressive balance of finesse and flavour.
We recommend opening it quite soon alongside a simple dish. Something like a mushroom risotto or Corsican cheese would be just right.