Clos Venturi Le Chemin de Croix Rouge 2022
Clos Venturi Le Chemin de Croix Rouge
Region: Corsica, France
Vintage: 2022
Bottle size: 75cl
Grapes: Sciaccarellu
ABV: 14.5%
This intense red wine presents a compelling aromatic profile of dark plum and cherry, garrigue, leather and licorice. Full-bodied and complex on the palate, it delivers dense yet refined tannins with notable texture and complexity. The wine showcases remarkable freshness alongside aromas of wild herbs, blood orange peel, violet, wild berries, and spices, capturing the essence of Corsica's untamed landscape. Long and ambitious, this exceptional Sciaccarellu demonstrates impressive depth and stands distinctively apart from typical expressions of the variety.
Le Chemin de Croix, one of Corsica's rarest cuvées, is produced with 55 years old Sciaccarellu growing on southeast facing sandstone terrace. This challenging high-altitude terroir demands intensive manual cultivation, creating wines that authentically express Corsica's unique mountain viticulture.
The grapes underwent partial de-stemming before fermentation in 12-hectoliter oak casks at controlled temperatures between 25-30°C using indigenous yeasts. Extended maceration lasted 35 days with daily cap management through pigeage. The wine was aged for 24 months in 225-liter new oak barrels, followed by an additional 6 months of bottle ageing. The final wine was not fined or filtered, preserving its natural character and complexity.
Clos Venturi comprises a 28-hectare vineyard within the Corsican estate of Domaine Vico, planted at 400 metres above sea level on a sandstone hill, surrounded by forests and mountains. Current winemaker Emmanuel (Manu) Venturi and his father Jean-Marc separated this plot from Domaine Vico after identifying the potential of its ancient sandstone soils and sheltered position. Manu has introduced sheep and chickens to the vineyard, providing natural fertiliser and weed control alongside beehives to further improve biodiversity. Yields are deliberately kept low and the vineyards are worked by horsepower to reduce soil compaction.