Ever since I studied the wines of Corsica during the WSET Diploma Wines of the World course, I have wanted to visit the island, birthplace of Napoleon, and see it for myself.

We made a trip in June 2024 and couldn’t believe its unparalleled beauty.  The Cap Corse, a bump-like peninsula on the northern tip, is truly spectacular.  This is where we met Dominique Lappi at his family’s petite winery in Morsiglia on Cap Corse’s rugged northwest shore.

Clos Paoli, named for his mother’s side of the family, only produces about 8,000 bottles a year on their 15 hectares, and all are made from native Corsican varietals and in traditional ways.  Le Blanc is 100% Vermentinu – fresh, fruity, dried flowers and mineral, Le Rosé, a lovely blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Nielluciu, and Le Rouge, the opposite blend of the same grapes.  All sport a light 12.5% abv which makes them super approachable and wonderfully refreshing.

Luckily for me, Dominique spoke perfect English.  He introduced me to their Cap Corse specialty, Le Rappu.  This stunning fortified wine is produced by drying the grapes on the slate in the fields and then pressing them to make wine in the tinazzi tradition – large, open wooden tubs.  The wine is later fortified and then aged in oak barrels for 10 years.

The resulting wine is extraordinary – remarkably light with a translucent garnet/ruby colour, and a nose full of sweet pipe tobacco, just-turned raspberry, deep red plum and prune, light cassis, fig, date, mocha and hazelnut.  With its fresh acidity and light tannins, this treat is delightfully quaffable, and with no cloying sweetness.  I bought a bottle and enjoyed some every night for a week before flying home.

Perfect with Gorgonzola, dark chocolate, chocolate mousse or tiramisu, it was also soulmate to a Corsican lamb pie with chestnut purée we enjoyed.

I really wish I could have bought many bottles of this as well as their Le Myrte, digestif and their Limoncello for which Dominique said he peeled many of their estate grown lemons.  The Limoncello was unlike any I’d ever had before – a pure lemon curd bomb with awesome acidity.  I’ve been ruined for all future Limoncellos.

If you happen to find yourself on Corsica, you must drop by their stone tasting shed and meet with Dominique for a tasting.  Tell him I sent you!  While I was obsessing over the wine, my husband was drooling over a genuine Corsican ‘barn find’ – a completely original and intact 1930 Donnet Six – hiding in the back of the tasting room.

You could also take part in their ‘dinner in the vineyard’ offer.  And make sure you’re shipping a bag home so you can bring back multiple bottles.  It’s more than worth the effort.