Nielluccio
Encyclopedia
Nielluccio is a red French wine
grape variety that is widely planted on Corsica. It is the principal grape variety used in the production of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
AOC red wine Patrimonio, where it must by law make up 95% of the blend. An early budding vine, Nielluccio produces wines lacking in color and with high alcohol levels. It is commonly used to make rosé
wine.
There is confusion about the grape's exact origins with some wine experts describing the grape as being indigenous to Corisca while other theories report that the grape is of Italian origins and possibly even a genetically identical clone of the Tuscan wine grape Sangiovese
that came to Corsica from Genoa
.
Italian variety Sangiovese suggest that the two grapes are closely related. The grape was likely introduced to Corsica by the Genoese
during their long rule over the island from the 13th century to the 18th century. But this view is not universally accepted with some wine experts, such as Oz Clarke
, believing that the grape is indigenous
to Corsica. Even Jancis Robinson
believed once that Nielluccio was native to Corsica but her more recent works give support to the Genoese theory.
To further add to the mystery, there is some belief that the extremely close genetic similarities between Sangiovese and Nielluccio could mean that they are exactly the same grape (or rather a clone given Sangiovese's propensity for mutation
). Indeed the German Vitis International Variety Catalogue
data base of known grape
cultivar
s does not even give Nielluccio a separate entry, rather grouping it in as a synonym
of Sangiovese. Still many French and English wine texts, such as the Oxford Companion to Wine, list the grape as a separate entry but with a note describing its close similarities to Sangiovese.
While there are very little plantings Nielluccio today on Italy, it is the third most widely planted variety on Corsica. Plantings declined for most of the 20th century as French immigrants from North Africa
imported cuttings of varieties common in Algerian wine
such as Carignan and Cinsaut
. At the turn of the 21st century, as Corsican winemakers rediscovered "indigenous" Corsican varieties, interest in Nielluccio was on the upswing.
Today Nielluccio is found almost exclusively on Corsica where it is the principle grape variety behind the AOC wines grown around Patrimonio
in the north of the island. The grape's strong hold in the south is Porto-Vecchio
where it is usually blended. According to the AOC regulations for Patrimonio the grapes must be harvested to a yield
no greater than 50 hectoliters/hectare and produce red wines with a minimum alcohol level of 12% and rosé a minimum of 11.5%. For Vin de Corse which includes the wines of Porto-Vecchio, the harvest yield requirements are the same but the red wines only need to reach an alcohol level of at least 11.5%.
Throughout Corsica, the variety is often blended with Sciacarello
. Other varieties that Nielluccio is blended with for red blends and rosé
wines include Barbarossa
, Grenache
, Vermentino
, Cinsault and Carignan. While its plantings declined during the 20th century, updates to the encépagement for Corsica's AOCs have been allocating increasingly higher proportions of red and rosé blends to the use of Nielluccio. Along with Sciacarello and Grenache, Nielluccio must compose at least 50% of the blend for red wines labeled under the general Vin de Corse AOC.
and limestone
, particularly those are Patrimonio. The variety buds early and ripens late which puts it at risk for both spring time frost
s and grape rots with rains during harvest
.
pigmentation and "lacking guts" or structure.
While the tannins and acidity in the grapes can help to produce fuller bodied wines with some aging potential, they can also make the wine come across as harsh depending on not only the physiological ripeness of the grapes at harvest but also how the winemaking
process is carried out from maceration
, fermentation
, clarification and if the wine goes through any oak and filtering. Another method that is often used to balance Nielluccio's tannins and acidity is blending with Sciacarello a frequent partner.
According to Jancis Robinson, it is the Nielluccio rosé from Patrimonio that tend to get the most critical acclaim from non-Corsicans of all the Nielluccio-based wines.
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
grape variety that is widely planted on Corsica. It is the principal grape variety used in the production of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
AOC red wine Patrimonio, where it must by law make up 95% of the blend. An early budding vine, Nielluccio produces wines lacking in color and with high alcohol levels. It is commonly used to make rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
wine.
There is confusion about the grape's exact origins with some wine experts describing the grape as being indigenous to Corisca while other theories report that the grape is of Italian origins and possibly even a genetically identical clone of the Tuscan wine grape Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
that came to Corsica from Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
.
History
The exact origins of Nielluccio are disputed. While the grape is today known as primary a French, or more specifically, Corsican grape, ampelographers in the late 20th century began to believe that the grape was likely of Italian origins. Nielluccio close genetic similarities to the indigenousIndigenous
Indigenous means: belonging to a certain place.Indigenous may refer to:In Ecology and Geography*Indigenous resources, resources which exist within local geography, that are not imported...
Italian variety Sangiovese suggest that the two grapes are closely related. The grape was likely introduced to Corsica by the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
during their long rule over the island from the 13th century to the 18th century. But this view is not universally accepted with some wine experts, such as Oz Clarke
Oz Clarke
Robert "Oz" Clarke is a British wine writer, television presenter and broadcaster.-Biography:Clarke’s parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He was brought up near Canterbury with a brother and a sister. Clarke became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and subsequently won a choral...
, believing that the grape is indigenous
Indigenous
Indigenous means: belonging to a certain place.Indigenous may refer to:In Ecology and Geography*Indigenous resources, resources which exist within local geography, that are not imported...
to Corsica. Even Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
believed once that Nielluccio was native to Corsica but her more recent works give support to the Genoese theory.
To further add to the mystery, there is some belief that the extremely close genetic similarities between Sangiovese and Nielluccio could mean that they are exactly the same grape (or rather a clone given Sangiovese's propensity for mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
). Indeed the German Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Vitis International Variety Catalogue
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus Vitis. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in Siebeldingen, Germany, and contains information from grapevine collections existing in...
data base of known grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s does not even give Nielluccio a separate entry, rather grouping it in as a synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
of Sangiovese. Still many French and English wine texts, such as the Oxford Companion to Wine, list the grape as a separate entry but with a note describing its close similarities to Sangiovese.
While there are very little plantings Nielluccio today on Italy, it is the third most widely planted variety on Corsica. Plantings declined for most of the 20th century as French immigrants from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
imported cuttings of varieties common in Algerian wine
Algerian wine
Algerian wine is wine made from the North African country of Algeria. While not a significant force on the world's wine market today, Algeria has played an important role in the history of wine. Algeria's viticultural history dates back to its settlement by the Phoenicians and continued under...
such as Carignan and Cinsaut
Cinsaut
Cinsaut or Cinsault is a red wine grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria and Morocco...
. At the turn of the 21st century, as Corsican winemakers rediscovered "indigenous" Corsican varieties, interest in Nielluccio was on the upswing.
Wine regions
Patrimonio
Patrimonio is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica.-Geography:Located 12 km from Bastia and 4 km from the micro-region of Saint-Florent, this wine-growing commune is the gateway to the Cap Corse .-History:The village of Patrimonio is well known for...
in the north of the island. The grape's strong hold in the south is Porto-Vecchio
Porto-Vecchio
Porto-Vecchio is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica.It is the seat of the canton of Porto-Vecchio, which it shares with Sari-Solenzara, Conca and Lecci. Port-Vecchio is a medium-sized port city placed on a good harbor, the southernmost of the marshy and...
where it is usually blended. According to the AOC regulations for Patrimonio the grapes must be harvested to a yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...
no greater than 50 hectoliters/hectare and produce red wines with a minimum alcohol level of 12% and rosé a minimum of 11.5%. For Vin de Corse which includes the wines of Porto-Vecchio, the harvest yield requirements are the same but the red wines only need to reach an alcohol level of at least 11.5%.
Throughout Corsica, the variety is often blended with Sciacarello
Sciacarello
Sciacarello is a red wine grape that is grown primarily in Corsica. It is most noted for the wines that come from Ajaccio which tends to be highly perfumed. The grape is normally blended and rarely made into a varietal wine....
. Other varieties that Nielluccio is blended with for red blends and rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
wines include Barbarossa
Barbarossa
Barbarossa, a name meaning red beard in Italian, may refer to any of these:-People:* Emperor Barbarossa or Frederick I , Holy Roman Emperor...
, Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
, Vermentino
Vermentino
Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in Sardinia, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon. The leaves are dark...
, Cinsault and Carignan. While its plantings declined during the 20th century, updates to the encépagement for Corsica's AOCs have been allocating increasingly higher proportions of red and rosé blends to the use of Nielluccio. Along with Sciacarello and Grenache, Nielluccio must compose at least 50% of the blend for red wines labeled under the general Vin de Corse AOC.
Viticulture
As of 2000, there were 4000 acres (1,600 hectares) of Nielluccio planted on Corsica. The grape seems to thrive on vineyard soils that are primarily clayClay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, particularly those are Patrimonio. The variety buds early and ripens late which puts it at risk for both spring time frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
s and grape rots with rains during harvest
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
.
Wine
Wine expert Oz Clarke, describes Nielluccio as producing "robust and tannic" wines with moderate to high levels of acidity. Jancis Robinson describes the wines very alcoholic with low colorWine color
The color of wine is one of the most easily recognizable characteristics of wines. Color is also an element in wine tasting since heavy wines generally have a deeper color. The accessory traditionally used to judge the wine color was the tastevin, a shallow cup allowing to see the color of the...
pigmentation and "lacking guts" or structure.
While the tannins and acidity in the grapes can help to produce fuller bodied wines with some aging potential, they can also make the wine come across as harsh depending on not only the physiological ripeness of the grapes at harvest but also how the winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
process is carried out from maceration
Maceration (wine)
Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since 99% of all grape juice is...
, fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
, clarification and if the wine goes through any oak and filtering. Another method that is often used to balance Nielluccio's tannins and acidity is blending with Sciacarello a frequent partner.
According to Jancis Robinson, it is the Nielluccio rosé from Patrimonio that tend to get the most critical acclaim from non-Corsicans of all the Nielluccio-based wines.