Christophe Ferrandis was born in Marseille to a family with strong roots in Corsica. After working for several years at Domaine Pibarnon in Bandol, he moved to Corsica where he worked as a consultant for a cooperative. Through connections of his uncle who grew up in Corsica, he was able to find a few hectares of old vines and established the domaine in 2001. In addition to the flagship bottling Clos Signadore, the domaine also produces the cuvée A Mandria in red, white, and rosé. The majority of the vineyards are north facing, to protect the vines from the intense Corsican sun. This allows Christophe to harvest fully ripe grapes that retain a freshness that comes through into the wines. Today, Clos Signadore produces some of the finest wines in all of Corsica, reds full of concentrated elegance, and vibrant, balanced whites. The Clos Signadore vines are located in Poggio d’Oletta, within the inland mountainous part of the Patrimonio AOC. The vines are divided among two distinct terroirs – Morta Piana and Morsaglia.

Corsica is blessed with hot summers, but with this exposure comes the need for very careful canopy management to avoid excessive ripeness and jammy fruit. Christophe works hard to produce wines with a freshness and vitality that belies the norm on the island. His white is a textured and refreshing example that shows the potential for Vermentino in Corsica and his reds are traditionally made, full flavoured and full bodied expressions of the complex, mineral terroir of Patrimonio. Christophe is setting the standard for organic viticulture in Corsica and a return to traditional methods in the winery (using long cool macerations and extended élevage in large old barrels) and his wines are now benchmarks for what can be achieved on the island. Minimal sulphur used at bottling.