2018 Domaine Giacometti Sempre Cuntentu 

The high, granitic Désert des Agriates of northern Corsica is an austere place to grow grapes. Nevertheless Christian Giacometti moved here in 1987 to do just that. The soils are rocky, the Libeccio, a hot, dry wind from Africa that blows hard across the plateau from the southwest, howls all year round, and there's one tiny town on a lonely road that traverses the plateau.

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Sarah Giacometti now makes the wines with her brother Simon, including this 100% sciaccarellu. Sciaccarellu, a grape probably native to Tuscany, where it is called mammolo, has been grown in Corsica for centuries, mostly in the sunny southwest of the island (which also features heavy granite soils), but also here in the north. The vast majority of the grape's production is in Corsica, and it's difficult to find single varietal sciaccarellu like this bottle anywhere else.

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"Sempre Cuntentu" means always happy in the Corsican dialect, and the Giacometti family delivers with this delicious, sharp tannic, medium-bodied red. Definitely decant this wine (even for an hour or two), as there's quite a bit of brettanomyces on this vintage, which dissipates to a fine balance after a good bit of air.

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Dark cherry, rose petal, tobacco leaf, and nice tannins all combine well with spiced lamb or lamb curry, or a juicy steak, or, for this time of year, summer bbq.