I am just home after a crazy week of wine tasting that included the obligatory few days at the annual International Wine Fair in London. For those that think wine tasting is a never-ending carousel ride of delicious flavours, feel free to volunteer as a side-kick in 2011. It is, I promise, the only week in the year when I come home wishing that every bottle of wine in the house would morph into Peroni beer.

Still, the week was not without its highlights; one of the brightest being a modest tasting of Corsican wines. Those of you that read my wine feature in Oxfordshire Limited Edition may remember that I visited Corsica last year and came home with a favourable impression of the wines, clouded with doubt about their commercial viability in the UK.

So, to revisit the wines was a bit of an indulgence but I am glad I did because it presented me with a lovely opportunity to re-taste the wines of Domaine de Torraccia whose wines were among the few to really shine in a fairly uninspiring week.

Torraccia can be found on the south eastern coast of Corsica, not far from the town of Porto Vecchio. Vineyards were planted here by the current owner in the 1960s, who was determined to show the potential of the island’s indigenous grape varieties, such as Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu and Vermentinu — all of which are as challenging to pronounce as they are to spell.

In a nutshell, Vermentinu is white (Italy’s Vermentino) and the other two are red. My Italian friends will probably have me shot down in flames for saying so but top-end Corsican Vermentinu does blow many Italian efforts away. Torraccia’s 2009 (£12.25 www.yapp.co.uk) is a prime example with its rich, herbal character and elegant, dry, mineral palate.

If ever a wine captured in its flavours the spirit of the location from which it came, the Torraccia Red 2007 is it. Unless you try it, you will not understand, but I swear that when you close your eyes you can taste the herb scrublands that surround the vineyards, the granite soil on which the vines are planted and there is a charming ruggedness to the fruit that conjures up images of the Corsican coastline. I think it is a wonderful bottle of wine and worth every penny of its £12.25 price (www.yapp.co.uk).

The Cuvée Oriu Red 2005 is Torraccia’s top wine (£22.50 www.yapp.co.uk) and, unlike the previous red, it is composed solely of Niellucciu (80 per cent) and Sciccarellu (20 per cent). A little like the white, it has a fabulous mineral quality to the fruit and a vibrancy that is in short supply in so many red wines being imported today. Deliciously concentrated and spicy, it is a wine that I can guarantee will be awarded a slot in my 1.5m² wine cellar . . . when it is finally finished.

l To learn more about Sarah and to sign up for her postcards, go to www.wine-talk.co.uk