Nicolas Mariotti Bindi/Cantina di Torra Blanc 2018/2019
Winemaker: Nicolas Mariotti Bindi
Grapes: Vermentinu
From M&L: Nicolas Mariotti Bindi is at the center of a renaissance in Corsica’s Patrimonio wine region. Essentially an amphitheater of limestone facing the northern reach of the Mediterranean Sea it’s home to surfers, beachgoers and intrepid vigneron - Patrimonio seems like a paradise. Nicolas returned to Corsica after deciding that becoming a lawyer was not his true calling. He wanted a life in the vines and quickly set about making it happen, first by way of Moulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais, and then closer to home with Antoine Arena and Muriel Giudicelli before becoming head of viticulture at Domaine Leccia. Then, with the generosity of another producer, Domaine Orenga de Gaffory, he was given the opportunity to farm five hectares of vines and was able to produce his first vintage in 2007. Nicolas has built a new winery here that has been in operation for the last 3 vintages.
He farms two, “home” vineyards: Porcellese and Mursaglia, both planted to Nielluciu and Vermentinu. The “Carcu” is a collection of parcels, consisting of 7.5 hectares of vines facing north and planted in clay and limestone soils located around the perimeter of the estate. The vines were planted in 1970, 1996, and 2009 respectively, and have been in conversion to organic farming since 2016. These are the grapes that go into the Cantina di Torra lineup.
Two years ago we received his first multi-vintage wine that was a result of a hot vintage melding with an early harvest to balance out the wine. We thought it was a pretty genius way to fix a problem in the cellar without intervening in the winemaking process, and here we see this wine has come full circle. The remaining bit of 2018 that was harvested the second time was blended in tank with some 2019 which makes for a lip-smacking, pitch perfect vermentinu. It is built for Maine cuisine, to say the least (lobster, surely) but would be equally suited for hearty Fall/Winter roasted chicken or poached swordfish.