A former professional water polo player, who looks like a rock star with his earrings, whip-thin body, tattooed arms, and spiky hair, Richard Spurr is the first foreigner to create a vineyard in Corsica. The English-Irish winemaker came to Corsica via the Montpelier area, where he learned about winemaking on the job at several Faugères vineyards. He began the œnelogue program at the university in Montepellier, but, instead of a diploma (in Richard’s words: “I’m better doing than studying”), he came out of the program with a wife. Marjorie, a consulting professor of œnologie there, is actively involved with the winemaking at the Enclos des Anges.
Spurr feel in love with the Calvi area following a vacation there, and began doing some consulting work with several of the local winemakers, including Etienne Suzzoni of Clos Colombu and Pierre Acquaviva of Domaine d’Alzipratu. These winemakers helped him to obtain, in 2007, a parcel of 20- to 40-year-old vines of his own, the oldest of these vines having been planted by the Michelin family in the 1960s. The home that the Michelin family built adjacent to the vineyard has been turned into the Relais et Chateaux Signoria Hôtel near the Calvi Airport. He’s integrated so well in Corsica that he even speaks French with a Corsican accent.
The Enclos des Anges vines sit in a rugged landscape that belies the fact that an international airport and the northern Corsican port city of Calvi are just several kilometers away.
Spurr has planted three additional hectare of vines, and he has plans to plant another five hectares. In total he has 16ha of Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache and Vermentinu. Spurr has only made two vintages here, but the results are astonishing. His old, long-neglected Vermentinu vines only produced a yield of 10hl/ha in 2007 and 15hl/ha the following year. Only a few bottles remain of that first year (he calls it his “experimental year”), as the resulting 17.7%-alcohol wine is more a curiosity than a success. However, if the second vintage is any indicator, the Enclos des Anges has a great future ahead of it. Rich with green apple and peach aromas, round and mouth-filling (thanks to 9 months on its lees), golden yellow in color, this wine might be mistaken for a Chablis.
Where Admiral Lord Nelson and his navy failed in 1794, Richard Spurr has succeeded.
His 2008 red, 60% Grenache, 30% Niellucciu and 10% Carignan, is a concentrated wine with notes of cherries, followed by tobacco and maquis. A beautiful deep red color, with a silky smooth texture, and a long final of tasty tannins might have you thinking that you’re drinking a Châteauneuf du Pape. Spurr is making excellent wines, but it’s uncertain how they’ll be viewed in the context of other wines from Calvi.
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These wines sound really good, Tom. One of these days, I’m going to have to get myself over to Corsica. Any idea of prices? Looking forward to more of your write-ups on your trip.
Thanks, Leon, for your comment. I’ve been negligent about publishing this summer, because I spent several weeks in July in the U.S. and several weeks in August in Corsica. The remainder of my time was spent working on a wine tourism guide of Corsica for Wink Lorch’s http://www.winetravelguides.com website. It should be online in September. I’m not sure of Richard’s pricing for his Enclos des Anges wines, but I saw a 2009 white of his in a restaurant in Porto-Vecchio, and it was priced at around €20.
Following a recommendation from a Corsican restaurant, we met Richard, Marjorie and their wines. The last bit of road to the winery was daunting, but the trip was worthwhile.
As for Ch d Pape – that’s what came to mind for me as well. Thought it would be fun to see how the red continues to develop over the next couple years, but we were limited in what we could carry away.
With their modest production, availability is limited. I’d happily buy more red if I found it – especially at the half case discount – which makes it considerably less than 20 euro a bottle.
Thanks for that update about this satisfyingly different Corsican vineyard, John. I hope that the meal at that Corsican restaurant was as good as their recommendation to visit Enclos des Anges near Calvi.