Nicolas Mariotti Bindi

Nicolas, a Corsican native, had left the island for Paris to study law but made a sudden and quite drastic U-turn, deciding to come home and become a winemaker, ultimately producing his first vintage in 2007. His winery is located in Oletta - in the heart of the Patrimonio appellation – in the northern reaches of Corsica. Today, he and his wife organically farm fifteen hectares of wines which are planted to a host of indigenous Corsican grape varieties.

Patrimonio was the first area in Corsica to receive appellation status (in 1968). The appellation is remarkable for its chalky clay and limestone soils – including vertiginous limestone outcrops – as well as the effects of the Ligurian Sea below. The effects of the strong, continuous breeze has also assisted in the region being one of the most “bio” regions in France. Predominantly, Patrimonio is planted to Vermentino (whites here have to be 100% Vermentino) and Nielluccio (where the reds must be a minimum of 90%).

Nicolas focuses on parcellaire work, denoting several specific parcels: Marsaglia, a one hectare each of Niellucciu and Vermentinu – wich are all massale selections planted in 2009 – and grown on clay and limestone soils.  Porcellese was one of the first vineyards Nicolas acquired – a 3.5 hectares of gobelet-trained Niellucciu vines that were planted in 1966 on alluvial soils with round stones. Meanwhile, Lumiu is southern-facing parcel of Vermentinu planted in clay and limestone soils, and Carcu is a myriad of north-facing parcels planted in 1970, 1996 and 2009.

The focus on parcellaire work extends to picking, vinifcationa and ageing. Everything is harvested by hand in small baskets and once in the cellar, fermentations occur naturally and sulfur is used in limited doses (of which is printed on the labels). He works with some whole bunch and carbonic maceration, as well as ageing in concrete tanks.  All cuvées are bottled unfined and unfiltered.