Domaine Abbatucci

France, Corsica

The Story

If it wasn’t for Antoine Abbatucci, most of the grapes now grown by Jean-Charles, Antoine’s son, may not exist. In the 1960s, local Corsican grapes were being rapidly replaced by international competitors. Antoine was charged with preserving these varieties and, using a hectare of land, created an ampelographic station and saved the fate of 18 of them.

When Jean-Charles took over in 2000 he converted the estate to biodynamic. He then began to graft some of these old varieties onto their existing vines. Today, 14 of those varieties can be found at Domaine Abbatucci, situated in the Taravo Valley of Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. The estate produces around 1,500 bottles of each type of wine, so you’ll have to hurry if you want to experience the unique qualities of grapes that were raised from the dead.

Listen to Jean-Charles on Interpreting Wine by Lawrence Francis.

The People

Jean-Charles

Domaine Abbatucci is run by Jean-Charles Abbatucci, a direct descendant of the General, who has now become a local hero —for providing the local populace with its most sought-after libation.

Corsicans are proud defenders of their traditions and environment, and with Abbatucci they indulge guilt-free.

The Place

Domaine Abbatucci

There are now 18 hectares of vines, punctuated by shrubs and olive trees which are planted on granite slopes 100 metres above sea level. They thrive in an ecosystem in which a wide variety of flora and fauna grow beside the vines, adding to the ecological diversity - an important part of biodynamics. In the winter, sheep and tiger cows graze the land. The cows are bred by Jean-Charles’s brother, Jacque, and eaten at the restaurant run by their other brother, Henri.