Antoine Arena

AOC Patrimonio, Antoine Arena: a Corsican estate renowned for its mastery of its terroir

Wines from Domaine Antoine Arena: buy at the best price

Domaine Antoine Arena has become an icon among Corsican wines in less than 30 years. Located in Patrimonio, on a small limestone enclave known for its beauty and fine Corsican wines, Antoine Arena loves his terroir, is a genuine character and has always worked with his family. It is an adventure shared with his wife Marie Arena and their two sons, Jean Baptiste Arena and Antoine Marie Arena. 

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Antoine Arena Patrimonio Carco 2022 white
1 in stock
127664
White
75cl
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Corse | Patrimonio

Antoine Arena Patrimonio Carco 2022 white

€30.00 inc-VAT per bottle
€25.00 ex-VAT
The TOP winemakers of Corsica

History of Domaine Antoine Arena

The land at Morta Maio has belonged to the Arena family since the 18th century, but for many years vines grew alongside olive trees and maquis, and the harvest went to the cooperative. Bottling at the estate began only around 1960. In 1975, after studying law on the mainland, Antoine Arena decided to return to the village and take over the family property. From 1977 onward, he set about replanting all the plots, at a time when the Patrimonio appellation, recognized in 1968, was still finding its identity.

Together with his wife Marie, he established standards then unusual in Corsica: vinification by plot and grape variety, low yields and a rejection of interventionism. The estate gradually adopted biodynamics and, in the 1990s and 2000s, became a driving force in Corsican wine, often credited with bringing great Corsican wines onto restaurant lists on the mainland. Their two sons, Antoine-Marie and Jean-Baptiste, joined them: the former took charge of winemaking, the latter deepened the biodynamic work. Since the 2014 vintage, the handover has been underway: each now releases wines under his own label, Antoine-Marie from the Carco terroirs and Jean-Baptiste from Grotte di Sole, while Antoine and Marie have kept the father’s Morta Maio vineyard and the bianco gentile grape.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Antoine Arena

Patrimonio is a geological exception in Corsica: while most of the island is granite or schist, the appellation lies on ancient limestone formations, accounting for the distinctive freshness and tension of its wines. The estate spans four distinct areas that have given their names to its cuvées. Carco covers around three hectares—two of vermentinu and one of niellucciu—on very hard limestone with an east-west exposure: the rock had to be broken up by hand to plant the vines. Grotte di Sole also covers three hectares, one of vermentinu and two of niellucciu, on more clay-rich, fully south-facing limestone. Morta Maio, the family’s historic vineyard, comprises 1.6 hectares of niellucciu along a north-south axis.

There are also a few additional plots, including one of small-berried muscat in the Muscat du Cap Corse appellation and a hectare of bianco gentile, a nearly vanished native white grape reintroduced by the family as part of a return to its roots. The slopes often exceed 25 degrees, on land where olive trees and maquis once grew, making all work manual. Vineyard management is biodynamic: plowing, no synthetic treatments, applications of sheep manure and grape pomace, and respect for soil life. Sea breezes and the temperature difference between day and night preserve valuable acidity in this Mediterranean climate.

Winemaking at Domaine Antoine Arena

The winery’s philosophy follows directly from its approach in the vineyard: add nothing, take nothing away, and let each plot speak for itself. The grapes are hand-harvested and rigorously sorted, and each terroir is vinified separately, variety by variety. Fermentation begins with native yeasts alone, with no added yeast, chaptalization or adjustments. Niellucciu, the island cousin of sangiovese, is handled through gentle infusion rather than extraction to preserve its fine tannins and vibrant fruit.

Aging is deliberately neutral: mostly cement and stainless steel tanks, with no new oak, over periods of several months that allow the wines to develop slowly. Sulfur additions are very low, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered. In their youth, the whites may therefore show a slight spritz and some reduction that calls for aeration before revealing surprising depth and longevity. Several cuvées made from grape varieties not permitted under the appellation’s rules are marketed simply as Vin de France, a deliberate choice in service of Corsica’s grape-growing heritage.

The Cuvées of Domaine Antoine Arena

Patrimonio Carco Blanc: 100% vermentinu planted on the estate’s hardest limestone, with an east-west exposure. The wine combines a generous palate with a striking mineral edge and notes of white flowers, pear, citrus and flint. Its saline finish and silky texture make it one of Corsica’s finest whites, capable of aging for a good ten years.

Patrimonio Carco Rouge: pure niellucciu from the same limestone plot, gently vinified and aged in tanks. A fresh, elegant nose of red and black fruit, a finely textured palate with slightly tart flavors, good volume and a distinguished finish. Its balance brings it closer to the great wines of Burgundy than to powerful Mediterranean reds.

Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Blanc: vermentinu planted on more clay-rich, south-facing limestone, producing a fuller, broader, richer white than Carco, but never a heavy one. Pear, apricot, anise and floral notes give way to a touch of refined bitterness that makes it especially food-friendly. A wine for the table, superb with Mediterranean fish and aged brocciu.

Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Rouge: niellucciu from the south-facing slopes, offering a superb, inviting nose of crushed red fruit, black fruit, olive and garrigue. The palate balances measured acidity and generous volume with a note of blood orange and a long finish of jammy fruit. The archetype of a great red Patrimonio.

Patrimonio Morta Maio: the father’s vineyard, 1.6 hectares of north-south-facing niellucciu retained by Antoine and Marie Arena. Deep purple color, a nose of cooked strawberry, leather and spice, a generous, fresh opening, and a tangy, tannic palate that benefits greatly from a few years of aging. The estate’s most personal and historically resonant cuvée.

Bianco Gentile: made from the family’s hectare of this reintroduced native white variety, this Vin de France cuvée has a more austere, mineral profile than vermentinu. Citrus, tropical fruit, white pepper and fine herbs make for a distinctive, dense, mouthwatering white that has become emblematic of the revival of Corsican varieties.

Muscat du Cap Corse: made from small-berried muscat grown on the estate’s limestone slopes, this naturally sweet wine favors finesse over heaviness. Fresh grapes, rose, orange peel and honey carry through to a clean finish driven by lively acidity. Perfect as an aperitif, with blue cheese or with a citrus dessert.

Hauts de Carco Blanc: a cuvée by Antoine-Marie Arena from the upper part of the Carco slope, where more limestone reaches the surface. Even tauter and more focused than the classic Carco, this vermentinu impresses with its precision, bright lemon character and saline length.

Bianchi: another creation by Antoine-Marie Arena, labeled Vin de France, blending bianco gentile, malvoisie and muscat. Clear straw color, generous tropical fruit and citrus aromas, and a palate that is rounded, floral and mineral. A sun-filled, original cuvée that reflects the curiosity of the new Arena generation.

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