Wine-making excellence in Patrimonio
Patrimonio, a small limestone enclave on the Isle of Beauty. This magnificent location is home to Corsica's most famous wine appellation.
Over the past thirty years, Antoine Arena has established himself as one of the finest winemakers in this fascinating appellation.
The terroir of the Antoine Arena estate has belonged to the Arena family since the 18th century, when Corsica was under Genoese rule. The estate produced wine for customers in Pisa and Florence, which was transported in barrels. Bottled sales began in the 1960s. The vine has always been present at the Antoine Arena estate, although the various generations have also looked after livestock, grown wheat and tended fruit trees. It wasn't until 1977 that the family decided to plant vines on the entire estate.
This success is due above all to a certain audacity in seeking out the best terroirs, coupled with strong determination, as the Carco parcel testifies: the limestone soil there was literally attacked and crushed in order to be able to plant vines. Convinced that only natural viticulture can bring out the personality of Corsican wines, Antoine Arena has never spared any effort to preserve the life of the soil: the vines are regularly ploughed, no chemical treatments are applied and the inputs are natural (sheep manure, grape marc).
The estate was recently divided up to allow the children to stand on their own two feet and prepare for the future. The terroirs are the same, but the labels are now different, representing each owner. The Antoine Arena estate is divided into 3 distinct domains: Antoine Arena, Jean-Baptiste Arena and Antoine Marie Arena.
There are three main Arena plots:
- Grotte Di Sole, a three-hectare plot with south-facing clay-limestone soil (2/3 niellucio red, 1/3 vermentino white); the wines are voluminous, both red and white. They possess a gourmand, round character typical of the terroir.
- The Carco vineyard, also covering three hectares, faces east, with limestone soils (2/3 white vermentino, 1/3 red niellucio). The wines produced here are well-balanced thanks to the exposure;
- One hectare of Bianco Gentile, a Corsican grape variety that Antoine Arena wants to revive. It is produced as a Vin de France, as the variety is not included in the Patrimonio AOC. This grape variety is very fruity, round and not very tense.
Since 2007, the Antoine Arena estate has been in the process of obtaining organic certification.
Our selection of estate wines: Patrimonio red wine "Morta Maio", "Bianco Gentile" dry white, "Hauts de Carco" dry white, "Grotte di Sole" dry white, Patrimonio red wine "Grotte di Sole".
