Bar Leccia
by Madison H. Brown
During the heat wave in Europe a few months ago, I was bopping around Corsica with a couple of colleagues and a sunburn. I imagine the rugged, maquis-laden landscape always has an arid feel to it in the summer, but we were unprepared for the scorcher we experienced (we ran out of sunscreen on day two). For the seasoned vignerons we visited, it was business as usual. When we arrived at the Leccias’, we found Yves and his son, Orsu, outside the cellar working doggedly on some sort of tractor engine repair. Yves’ wife, Sandrine, agreed to show us the vineyards, and we piled into a 4×4 utility van—no AC, in case you were wondering. But from up in the vines, we could see all the way to the sea, and the amphitheater in which we stood seemed to be funneling a gentle breeze from the coast. Nearby stood an old, overgrown stone building sporting Corsican flag tapestries inside. Sandrine told us, “This is Orsu’s bar. During Covid, it was his secret hangout.” I could picture it, the then-teen holing up in the shade to take respite with a chilled bottle pulled from the cooler. It sounded heavenly just then, as the sun beat down on us relentlessly—Bar Leccia, a perfect spot to escape the trials and tribulations of our ever-changing world! Tasting through their new arrivals, each distinctly vivid and sea-kissed, it’s easy to be transported there.
2025 Patrimonio Blanc “E Croce”
France | Corsica
The stony E Croce plateau is where you’ll find Bar Leccia perched, and it’s also where the grapes for this pure Vermentinu come from. Of the three wines featured here, this is the one that most captures Patrimonio’s mythical Mediterranean terroir with its stony minerality, fragrant wildflower and maquis aromatics, and a refreshingly salty finale.
2025 Île de Beauté Rosé “E Croce”
France | Corsica
This electric, puckery, watermelon-hued rosé answers the question: If you were stranded on a desert island, which wine would you bring? Deliciously crisp and citrusy, it quenches even the deepest thirst and is a match made in heaven for simply prepared fish or crustaceans. This desert-island scenario is really not sounding so bad… maybe cancel that SOS.
2025 Île de Beauté Rouge
France | Corsica
The Grenache that makes up the lion’s share of the blend here comes from a section of the Partinelone vineyard with clay-rich soils and less schist than the rest of Leccia’s holdings. The vines, therefore, retain moisture and freshness while also ripening slowly, which is reflected in the glass with toothsome structure and plush, savory fruit. A healthy splash of native Niellucciu completes the concoction, and with a slight chill, you can taste its essence come through with wild fruit and cooling herbs. A lithe, luxurious red in the inculpably “drink now” category.