2016 Antoine-Marie Arena, VDF Bianco Gentile "BG"

We’ve long turned to Corsica–that rugged and isolated island between Tuscany and France–for refreshing, textured Mediterranean whites. But can it produce “great” wines? Do Corsican whites gain in complexity and depth if we’re willing to wait? Can they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in France, and the world? The answer today is a resounding “yes.” Antoine-Marie Arena’s 2016 Bianco Gentile “BG” is peak Corsica; like all the best white wines from here, it sings with inimitable seabreeze minerality, scrub brush herbs, and a simultaneously lush yet electric texture. But now, with close to a decade of age, it’s taken on further saline, golden-fruited depth, its coastal limestone terroir shining through unabated. The Arena family is legendary amongst the Corsica cognoscenti, and a wine like today’s discovery ably demonstrates why: The Arenas basically put Corsica on American wine drinkers’ radars, and they continue to produce some of the island’s best wines. For those looking for an