2024 Comte Abbatucci, Vin de Corse, Faustine Rouge

Jean-Charles Abbatucci is the benchmark for biodynamic farming in Corsica — and the Faustine Rouge is where most people fall in love with what he does.

A blend of 70% Sciaccarellu and 30% Niellucciu grown on granite in the Taravo Valley, this is Corsican red wine at its most approachable and most alive. Both grapes are indigenous to the island, farmed biodynamically, and fermented whole-cluster in concrete and wood vats — no crushing, which means the aromatics stay lifted and fresh rather than extracted and heavy.

2024 was a lean year — some late rain kept the fruit from fully ripening into the plush, generous style you might know from previous vintages. But lean years on granite have a way of being quietly brilliant. This release is nervy and floral, driven by bright acidity and a lighter body that makes it endlessly easy at the table. Think less "big Corsican red" and more cool-climate Pinot Noir energy — fragrant, precise, and refreshing in a way that riper years sometimes aren't.