2021 Le Coste, Rosso di Gaetano, Lazio, Italy

Producer: Azienda Agricola Le Coste, a project started in 2004 by Gianmarco Antonuzzi & Clementine Bouveron, grower/winemakers. They met in Alsace when she was studying oenology & he was working for Bruno Schueller, after working for a number of avant-garde figures of the natural winemaking scene, they moved back to Gianmarco’s childhood home  in Gradioli. They now tend 14 hectares of unploughed vines amongst olive & chestnut trees, working with ancient local varieties, everything is done by hand & absolutely nothing is added to the wines, they are a reference for Italian natural wine.

Place: On a hill overlooking lake Bolsena, in Gradoli, in the province of Viterbo, northern Lazio bordering Tuscany & Umbria, vines are on the slopes of Lake Bolsena, west-central Italy.

Cultivation: Organic & Biodynamic practices.

Varietal:  50% Greghetto, the local version of Sangiovese & 50% between Merlot & Syrah partially sourced from parcels in Bomarzo & Pitigliano.

Soil: Volcanic, rich in iron & minerals.

Volcanic Origin: The fertile soils here are a result of ancient volcanic activity: the Vulsini Complex in central Italy’s explosive eruptions formed Lake Bolsena, the largest lake of volcanic origin in Europe, the latest major eruption formed pumice flows welding airfall tufts of the Pitialiano formation.

Winemaking: The grapes are destemmed, 3 weeks of maceration with the skins, spontaneously fermented, refined for 6 months in steel vats.

Tasting Notes: Juicy – Dark  & Sour Cherry – Wild Herbs – Spicy Minerals