Antoine Arena
Antoine
Arena, like most Corsicans of his generation, grew up in a family that earned a
modest living working the land on an island largely unknown to the outside
world. As soon as he could he
joined the mass exodus of Corsicans to the French mainland, in search of jobs
and what they thought to be a better life. Several years later in the mid
1970s, with a promising career on the mainland, the Corsican independence
movement exploded with violent confrontations between nationalists and French
government forces, leaving Antoine stunned.
In
his shock and anger, he moved back to the family farm and decided to reverse
the trend and remain on the land, as his own form of protest. Many others soon
followed his lead, and for the first time in over a century, the emigration
from the island ebbed and Corsicans came back home to reclaim their land.
To
survive off the land, Antoine knew he would need to show the world outside of
Corsica what Patrimonio was capable of. And so his mission began to make the
best his land could make and to spread the word. He started identifying the
best parcels and vinifiying them separately, and long before his time, worked
the vines organically and vinified without any added sulfur.
From
the beginning of the endeavor, Antoine and his wife Marie worked tirelessly to
put Patrimonio on the map to the greater French public, and with quite a
success. They brought fame and respect to their appellation and are recognized
nearly unanimously as being the best there is on the island. In Paris, for
example, Arena is a living legend and his presence at a tasting in the city
will always guarantee an over capacity crowd. He’s close friends with the likes
of the Gang of Four, Montanet, Barral, Catherine & Pierre Breton, and is as
much of a bon vivant as any of them.
Now Antoine is joined by his two sons, Antoine-Marie and Jean-Baptiste, who share Antoine’s spirit and continue to work the land and make the wine naturally, as taught by their father. As of the 2014 vintage, the Arenas have divided their holdings evenly amongst Antoine, Antoine-Marie, and Jean-Baptiste. The decision came naturally: in a typically Corsican spirit of independence, Antoine’s sons will carry on the family tradition through their very own domaines, enjoying the autonomy to work the way they desire while maintaining close family bonds and a free exchange of ideas (see Antoine-Marie Arena and Jean-Baptiste Arena). Antoine’s legacy lives on, and the Arena name will forever be associated with pioneering excellence in Corsican wine.

Antoine Arena, like most Corsicans of his generation, grew up in a family that earned a modest living working the land on an island largely unknown to the outside world. As soon as he could he joined the mass exodus of Corsicans to the French mainland, in search of jobs and what they thought to be a better life. Several years later in the mid 1970s, with a promising career on the mainland, the Corsican independence movement exploded with violent confrontations between nationalists and French government forces, leaving Antoine stunned.
In his shock and anger, he moved back to the family farm and decided to reverse the trend and remain on the land, as his own form of protest. Many others soon followed his lead, and for the first time in over a century, the emigration from the island ebbed and Corsicans came back home to reclaim their land.
To survive off the land, Antoine knew he would need to show the world outside of Corsica what Patrimonio was capable of. And so his mission began to make the best his land could make and to spread the word. He started identifying the best parcels and vinifiying them separately, and long before his time, worked the vines organically and vinified without any added sulfur.
From the beginning of the endeavor, Antoine and his wife Marie worked tirelessly to put Patrimonio on the map to the greater French public, and with quite a success. They brought fame and respect to their appellation and are recognized nearly unanimously as being the best there is on the island. In Paris, for example, Arena is a living legend and his presence at a tasting in the city will always guarantee an over capacity crowd. He’s close friends with the likes of the Gang of Four, Montanet, Barral, Catherine & Pierre Breton, and is as much of a bon vivant as any of them.
Now Antoine is joined by his two sons, Antoine-Marie and Jean-Baptiste, who share Antoine’s spirit and continue to work the land and make the wine naturally, as taught by their father. As of the 2014 vintage, the Arenas have divided their holdings evenly amongst Antoine, Antoine-Marie, and Jean-Baptiste. The decision came naturally: in a typically Corsican spirit of independence, Antoine’s sons will carry on the family tradition through their very own domaines, enjoying the autonomy to work the way they desire while maintaining close family bonds and a free exchange of ideas (see Antoine-Marie Arena and Jean-Baptiste Arena). Antoine’s legacy lives on, and the Arena name will forever be associated with pioneering excellence in Corsican wine.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bianco Gentile |
Bianco Gentile | Planted in 1997 | Clay, limestone | .5 ha |
Patrimonio Blanc Carco |
Vermentinu | Planted in 1987 | Limestone, chalk, clay | 1 ha |
Patrimonio Blanc Grotte di Sole |
Vermentinu | 60 years | Clay, limestone | 1 ha |
Patrimonio Blanc Haut de Carco |
Vermentinu | PLanted in 2003 | Limestone, chalk, clay | 1 ha |
Vin de France Blanc “Vendange Tardive“ |
Vermentinu | Planted in 1998 | Clay, limestone | .2 ha |
Patrimonio Rosé |
80% Niellucciu, 20% Vermentinu | N/A | Chalk, clay, limestone | .5 ha |
Patrimonio Rouge Carco |
Niellucciu | Planted in 1987 | Limestone, chalk, clay | 2 ha |
Patrimonio Rouge Grotte di Sole |
Niellucciu | 60 years | Clay, limestone | 2 ha |
Patrimonio Rouge “Morta Maio” |
Niellucciu | Planted in 2001 | Clay, limestone, schist | 2 ha |
Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Zero” |
Niellucciu | Planted in 2001 | Clay, limestone | N/A |
Patrimonio Rouge “Mémoria” |
Niellucciu | 80 years | Clay, limestone | 1 ha |
Muscat du Cap Corse |
Muscat à Petit Grains | Planted in 1982, 1992, 1995 | Clay, limestone | 1 ha |
Vin de France Muscat |
Muscat à Petit Grains | Planted in 1983 | Clay, limestone | 1 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• Corsican spellings of grape varietals
Whites:
• Hand harvested (yields usually around 40 hl/ha)
• Natural fermentation, low doses of sulfur, cement cuve, no wood
• Long fermentations, then wines are aged for 6 to 8 months on fine lees in stainless steel tanks
• Wines complete malolactic fermentation
• Most vintages are bottled unfiltered
• Vin de France Blanc “Vendange Tardive” is harvested in NovemberReds:
• Hand harvested (yields usually around 35 hl/ha)
• Natural fermentation, with infrequent doses of sulfur, cement cuve, no oak
• Long macerations from 6 to 9 weeks, with regular punch-downs
• Long élévages, up to 2 years in concrete tanks
• Patrimonio “Carco” Rouge is partially aged in 350 L, old barrels• Patrimonio Rouge “Mémoria” is partially aged in 350 L, old barrels
• Patrimonio Rouge “Mémoria” is sourced from the oldest parcel of the Morta Maio vineyard, which was planted by Antoine’s grandfather
• No fining, no filtration
Patrimonio Rosé:
• Rosé is mostly made using 10% saignée method, 90% direct press
• Malolactic fermentation is always completed
• Vines are mostly situated in the “Morta Maio” vineyard
Carco:
The Carco vineyard is on an eastern facing slope, cleared of its maquis and planted in 1987 by Antoine. The name of the parcel, Carco, dates back to at least Napoleonic times, and in Corsican means “busy,” most likely due to the fact that it was covered in densely planted olive trees at that time, before being abandoned. Two different wines come from this vineyard: the Patrimonio Carco Rouge, from Niellucciu (1ha). Niellucciu (Corsican spelling) vines are the descendants of Sangiovese vines brought to Patrimonio by Pisans in the 12th century when Corsica was a part of the Republic of Pisa. “Niel” in Corsican means black, and “lucciu” is an endearing term for something small, thus the name given to the grape for its dark color and small berries. While Niellucciu and Sangiovese are indeed cousins, the Niellucciu of Patrimonio has had nearly nine centuries to adapt to the particularities of the local terroir. The second wine is the Patrimonio Carco Blanc (2ha), 100% Vermentinu. (Vermentinu arrived in Patrimonio well before Niellucciu, although the date of its arrival is still unclear). Both the rouge and blanc from this parcel are marked by a limestone nerve and minerality.
Haut de Carco:
The Haut de Carco is the most recently planted parcel, sitting directly above the Carco, and containing even harder, thicker limestone than the Carco. In fact, nothing grew there before. The Arenas cleared rocks and blasted holes for over a year in the rock to plant Vermentinu (much to the awe of their neighbors who were convinced that the vines would never take). The first harvest was in 2008.
Grotte di Sole:
Meaning “sunny grottoes” in Corsican, this parcel takes its name from its direct southern facing exposure. As the name suggests, this terroir on clay-limestone soils gives the ripest grapes from the property. Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Rouge (2 ha), 100% Niellucciu, and Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Blanc (1ha), 100% Vermentinu, both come from this parcel. These vines average 60 years of age, and are from the original holdings of the Arena family, going back to at least the 18th century. These wines tend to be rich and round, but Antoine takes pains to harvest early and never allows for excessive maturity.
“Morta Maio”:
The Morta Maio vineyard was planted in 2001 with only Niellucciu. There is just a single cuvée from this parcel, the Patrimonio “Morta Maio” Rouge. This is often the most approachable of the reds when young—dark, earthy, chewy and juicy.
Morta Maio translates as “The Eldest Myrtle.” Morta = Myrtle in Corsican, the shrub that makes up the bulk of the maquis in Patrimonio. (In other parts of Corsica they spell Morta as Murtha, where you can see more of the resemblance to the word Myrtle). Maio = The Eldest, or the oldest. This parcel, which has belonged to the Arena family for over 400 years, immediately surrounds their house and was used as brush pasture for the donkeys who worked the vines. Since the parcel has been in use for so long (longer than the 400 years it has belonged to the Arenas) the term “Maio” was added to it.
Bianco Gentile:
Bianco Gentile is a variety native to the island, which was considered lost until a small parcel was found up the highlands of Corsica. Antoine and a small group of vigneron friends took some cuttings from that last remaining vineyard, and planted it back on his property, effectively saving it from extinction. Patrimonio regulations, drawn up when the grape was considered extinct, don't allow for its use in the A.O.C., so the wine is a Vin de France. The parcel is situated between the Carco and Grotte di Sole vineyards.
Muscat du Cap Corse:
There is also a small parcel of Muscat à Petits Grains that goes into the Muscat du Cap Corse cuvée. It is a low-yielding parcel, which is then fortifies with Corsican grappa, as tradition and A.O.C. rules require. His Muscat is never over the top nor syrupy but is always floral and delicate. The Arenas also produce a small quantity of unfortified Muscat that is mostly consumed locally.
Patrimonio Rouge “Cuvée Zero”:
A completely no-sulfur blend, vinified in cement and stainless steel tanks. All fruit comes from the Morta Maio vineyard.
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Corsica
- Appellation(s)
- Patrimonio, Cap Corse
- Producer
- Antoine Arena
- Founded
- 16th Century
- Annual Production
- 5,500 cases
- Farming
- Organic (certified)