Clos Venturi Le Clos Rouge 2020
Clos Venturi Le Clos Rouge
Region: Corsica, France
Vintage: 2020
Bottle size: 75cl
Grapes: Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carcaghjolu Neru
ABV: 13.5%
Bright ruby in colour. On the nose, aromas of blackberry, black cherry and plum are married with subtle hints of rosemary. Polished tannins and precise acidity balance the vibrant core of black fruit flavours on the palate and give way to a long mineral finish.
The 28-hectare ‘Clos Venturi’ single vineyard was singled out as unique by Manu Venturi and his father Jean-Marc when they took over Domaine Vico in 1989. Located inland at 400 metres above sea level, it is sheltered by the forests and mountains that surround it and has a wide diurnal range, allowing for a perfectly paced slow ripening of the grapes. Soils are composed predominantly of sandstone and impart a marked minerality on the wines. The vines are on average 30 years old and produce low yields of between 30 to 35 hectolitres per hectare. The ‘Le Clos Rouge’ blends Niellucciu (Sangiovese), Sciaccarellu (also known as Mammolo in Tuscany) and indigenous Corsican grape Carcaghjolu Neru.
Upon arrival at the winery, the hand-harvested grapes were partially destemmed and gently crushed, with a proportion of the grapes left as whole-bunch. Fermentation took place in 40-hectolitre used French oak foudres with indigenous yeasts at 25-30°C. Punch downs were carried out once daily and total maceration time on the skins was 45 days. Following fermentation, the wine was racked off the skins and aged in the oak foudres for 14 to 18 months. The final blend was assembled, very lightly filtered and then bottled.
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.