Yves Leccia

Yves Leccia has a certain presence and noble bearing to him, much like his wines. In France they have often been referred to as the “Rolls-Royce” of Corsican wines, a reputation earned after nearly 30 years of making consistently elegant and sophisticated wines.

Raised in a small village in the heart of Patrimonio, Yves worked alongside his father in the vines and cellar at the earliest age he could. The Leccias have been making wine from some of the finest terroirs of Patrimonio for countless generations, and there was never the least doubt in Yves’ mind that he would continue the tradition. Originally working alongside his sister, he decided to branch off on his own in 2004 and focus on the single terroir he felt was the top in Patrimonio. This terroir, “E Croce,” sits on a thin chalk soil above a thick bedrock of pure schist, facing the gulf of St. Florent. Yves is a firm believer in the idea that if you want something done right you need to do it yourself, and thus he tends to his vines alone and works the cellar by himself as well. He keeps his yields low, knows when to harvest, and knows how to let E Croce express itself in the wines. Not a single bottle comes out of the domaine that isn’t meticulously looked after from start to finish.

In Corsica, Yves is celebrated not only for his wines, but also for being a founding member of A Filetta, a legendary and proudly nationalistic Corsican polyphonic singing group. Spend some time with Yves and you won’t hear him boast or even talk much about his accomplishments. His name, Leccia, is Corsican for Oak. The name is ironic if you look at Yves’ wines, given that he’s never had his wine touch a single oak barrel and has never allowed wood to enter his cellar. The name is less ironic if you look at Yves himself, with his stoic manner and understated personality.

Kermit touts the aging capacity of Yves’ reds. He opened a 1998 in 2010 that he still talks about, comparing it to the best the south of France has to offer.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
I. G. P. Île de Beauté Rosé	80% Niellucciu, 20% Sciaccarellu	Planted in 2007	Clay, Limestone, Schist	2.5 ha
I. G. P. Île de Beauté Blanc	70% Vermentinu, 30% Biancu Gentile	Planted in 2007	Clay, Limestone, Schist	4.35 ha
I. G. P. Île de Beauté Blanc Biancu Gentile “L’Altru Biancu”	Biancu Gentile	Planted in 2011	Schist	1 ha
I.G.P. Île de Beauté “Biancu Marinu”	60% Muscat Petits Grains, 40% vermentinu	Muscat planted in 2006, Vermentinu planted in 2005	Clay, Limestone, Schist	1 ha Muscat, 4 ha Vermentinu
I. G. P. Île de Beauté Rouge	80% Grenache 20% Niellucciu	Planted in 1994	Clay, Limestone, Schist	7.1 ha
I. G. P. Île de Beauté Rouge “O Ba!”	1/3 Minustellu, 1/3 Niellucciu, 1/3 Grenache	Planted in 1999	Clay, Limestone, Schist	7.1 ha
Patrimonio Blanc	Vermentinu	Planted in 1989	Clay, Limestone, Schist	3 ha
Patrimonio Rosé	80% Niellucciu, 20% Grenache	Planted in 1999	Clay, Limestone, Schist	4.6 ha
Patrimonio Rouge	90% Niellucciu, 10% Grenache	Planted in 1989	Clay, Limestone, Schist	7.1 ha
I.G.P Muscat Sec “Cuvée C281”	Muscat	Planted in 2005	Schist	.5 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Since 2013, domaine is in a certified organic conversion with Ecocert. Full certification in 2016.
• All grapes are harvested by hand and sorted
• Corsican spellings of grape varietals

White Wines:

• After grapes are pressed, the must is cold soaked for 24 hours before fermentation begins

• Fermentation occurs in stainless steel cuves and lasts 15 to 20 days depending on the vintage

• White wines do not undergo malolactic fermentation

• Wines are aged in temperature controlled stainless steel cuves for 6 months

I.G.P. Île de Beauté “Biancu Marinu”:

• Fermentation lasts 15 days in stainless steel tank

• Muscat and vermentinu are vinified separately

• Aged 6 months in stainless steel

• No malolactic fermentation

• A fully dry wine

• “Marinu” is the name of one of Yves’s sons. It is also a reference to the coast of Corsica near Patrimonio.

Patrimonio Rosé:

• Rosé is made from a 12-hour saignée
• Must is cold soaked for 24 hours before fermentation begins
• Fermentation occurs in stainless steel cuves and lasts 15 to 20 days depending on the vintage
• Rosé does not undergo malolactic fermentation
• Wines are aged in temperature controlled stainless steel cuves for 6 months

I. G. P. Île de Beauté Rosé:
• Rosé is made from direct press
• Fermentation occurs in stainless steel cuves and lasts 15 to 20 days depending on the vintage
• Rosé does not undergo malolactic fermentation
• Wines are aged in temperature controlled stainless steel cuves for 6 months

Red Wines:

• After sorting, all red grapes are de-stemmed, then placed in stainless steel cuves

• Fermentation lasts 12 to 15 days with daily pump-overs

• After fermentation, the grapes are pressed and the wine is blended to taste

• Red wines are aged for 12 months

I. G. P. Île de Beauté Rouge “O Ba!”:
• O Bà means “Dad” in Corsican. This cuvée is an hommage to Yves’ father Pierre-Joseph Leccia, who taught him everything he knows and transmitted to him the knowledge of previous generations as well. The silhouette on the label is of Pierre-Joseph.

MISCELLANEA

Yves Leccia has devoted an enormous amount of time and resources over the past decade to the development of vineyards planted to massale selections of Corsican heirloom varieties. Many of these varieties were thought to be lost during the post-WWII years when Corsican viticulture was revamped to conform to what was at the time popular in the rest of France. One of the most fascinating discoveries by Yves was a small block of Biancu Gentile, an ancient variety native to Corsica, which for years was presumed to be extinct. Leccia has slowly nurtured these cuttings, and now has a producing vineyard planted on the rocky, schist soil of Patrimonio. Beginning with the 2010 vintage, the INAO authorities allow Biancu Gentile in IGP wines from Corsica, so they no longer need to be sold as Vin de Pays.

Bruce Neyers, KLWM