L.N. Mattei Cap Corse Quinquina Blanc Aperitif 750ml

L.N. Mattei was founded in 1872 by Louis-Napoléon Mattei, a merchant from the Cap Corse peninsula, the finger of land on the northern tip of Corsica shaped by centuries of French, Italian, and North African influence. Mattei learned of the restorative properties of cinchona bark during a voyage to the Caribbean and brought the idea home, blending it into local wine to create what became the island's signature aperitif. The company remains family owned today, with all maceration, aging, and bottling still carried out in house, making it the oldest and most recognized aperitif producer on Corsica.

The Blanc is built on an all mistelle base of Vermentinu and Muscat Petit Grains, grape varieties native to Corsica that are fortified early to preserve their fresh, aromatic character. Cinchona bark supplies the bittering quinine backbone that defines any quinquina, while locally grown cedrat, a thick skinned, highly aromatic relative of the lemon, is added for citrus lift and texture. The result is one of the more distinctive styles among French quinquinas, built around ingredients specific to the island rather than the more commonly used wine and spice bases found elsewhere in the category.

The aromatic profile leans toward minerality, bright acidity, and floral tones from the Muscat and Vermentinu, with the cedrat contributing a silky texture and a citrus note that sits apart from ordinary lemon or orange peel. Quinine bitterness builds through the middle and back of the palate, giving the wine real structure and a clean, dry finish rather than heavy sweetness. It performs well simply poured over ice with soda or tonic, or worked into cocktails alongside gin or agave spirits.