At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Place
- Southern Corsica, with vineyards on hillsides overlooking the Gulf of Propriano and Bay of Tizzano
- Independent bottling
- Gilles Seroin began bottling independently in 1995
- Red wines
- Rosumarinu Rouge, Burghese Rouge, L'Ermite Rouge
- White wine
- Burghese Blanc
- Defining practice
- Hand harvesting, destemming and sorting with minimal intervention
The Producer
The name Sant'Armettu comes from a hermit in Corsican tradition associated with healing plants. Gilles Seroin took over the vineyard in 1995, left the cooperative model, and began bottling independently.
Jeanne and Guillaume, Gilles's daughter and son, have since joined the family business. The range includes Rosumarinu Rouge, Burghese Rouge, Burghese Blanc and L'Ermite Rouge.
Place
The vines sit on hillsides in southern Corsica, overlooking the Gulf of Propriano and Bay of Tizzano. Hillside vineyards generally shed excess water more readily than flat ground, while open slopes can expose vines to moving air. Sant'Armettu's setting is defined by sloping ground and views across two bodies of water.
Wines
Rosumarinu Rouge is the introductory red, made to present Sant'Armettu's style with concentration and aromatic intensity. Burghese Rouge and Burghese Blanc form the oak aged pair. The red spends 30 months in demi muids followed by 6 months in bottle, while the white has a fleshy dimension after oak ageing.
L'Ermite Rouge is the named red that showcases Sciacarellu. Its place in the range also brings the estate's granite based terroir into view.
In The Glass
Rosumarinu Rouge has a delicate red colour, strawberry on the nose, and a supple palate of red berries and spice. Burghese Rouge is intense garnet, with deep spice and red fruit, a satiny, complex texture, and significant ageing potential.
Burghese Blanc is refined and charming, with a fleshy dimension, vegetable softness, and noble bitterness. L'Ermite Rouge is ruby with garnet reflections, opening on red fruit and spice. Its flavours are intense, juicy and smooth, with deep red fruit from Sciacarellu expressed through granite.
A Bottle To Understand It
Rosumarinu Rouge is the first bottle to open. It was produced as an introduction to the Sant'Armettu style, with concentration and aromatic intensity that place it before the oak aged Burghese wines and the Sciacarellu focused L'Ermite Rouge.
Final Word
Sant'Armettu combines southern Corsican hillside vineyards, independent bottling under Gilles Seroin, and named wines that move from Rosumarinu Rouge through Burghese to L'Ermite Rouge.
Sources
1. https://www.santarmettu.com/ 2. https://www.sacredthirstselections.com/domaine-sant-armettu 3. https://www.santarmettu.com/en/wines 4. https://luvinu.fr/produit/domaine-sant-armettu-burghese-rouge-sartene-corse/ 5. https://luvinu.fr/produit/domaine-sant-armettu-burghese-sartene-corse/ 6. https://www.lespassionnesduvin.com/domaine-sant-armettu-l-ermite-rouge-2022.html