Mattei Cap Corse Blanc Quinquina

FROM HAUS ALPENZ

THE QUINQUINA: A true Quinquina Blanc, and unique among aperitif wines. The profile of the Cap Corse Mattei Blanc aperitif wine is defined by its distinctly Corsican components. Its all-mistelle base is of Vermentinu and Muscat Petit Grains, lending a terrific minerality, acidity and floral tones. The local Cedrat (aka citron) adds unique citrus aroma and a silky texture. Since its creation in 1872 by Louis-Napoléon Mattei, Cap Corse Mattei is the oldest and best known aperitif of Corsica. Still today family owned, and all macerations, aging and bottling are done in house.

As a quinquina, Cap Corse Mattei Blanc is flavored with cinchona bark (quinine), which adds spice and depth in the mid and back palate. Fantastic on ice with tonic or soda, and even more so with a pour of gin or an agave spirit.

THE PRODUCER: In 1872, a merchant named Louis-Napoléon Mattei named his aperitif wine after his native Cap Corse, a peninsula of Corsica that juts northward into the Mediterranean. A territory of France, Corsica has over the centuries been influenced by both France and Italy, as well as northern Africa. Mattei discovered the beneficial properties of cinchona tree bark during a voyage to the Caribbean, and he brought it to Cap Corse to blend with local wine made from Muscat and Vermentinu grapes. He added spices that made their way through Cap Corse’s bustling port, as well as Cedrat (citron), a thick-peeled ancestor of lemon. Cap Corse Mattei Quinquina was soon exported across the globe.