Created by Clémentine Bouveron and Gian Marco Antonuzi in 2004, Le Coste is located near the volcanic Lake Bolsena in Gradoli, Central Italy. They produce impressive natural wines from a lesser known region of Italy. The 14 hectare estate comprises of a vineyard, olive groves, chestnut trees, shrubs and oaks.
The Terroir
At 450 metres above sea level, the terroir is characterised by iron- and mineral-rich loose soil deriving from underlying volcanic rocks and ashes. The mild climate is not quite Mediterranean nor continental.
Cultivation and approach to the vineyard
Le Coste practices "natural" agriculture, is certified organic and does everything by hand, adopting a biodynamic approach in the vineyard and low-intervention in the cellar. They cultivate mixed crops, vines, olives, fruit trees and green manures.
They grow vines that are traditional to the area, chosen carefully from the remaining old vineyards, all grown as a low bush sustained by a post of chestnut wood. No chemical fertilisers or mineralised organic fertilisers are used, only their own compost and horn manure 500 preparation. They spray with natural sulphur and copper sulphate, helped by biodynamic preparations such as horn silica 501 in the growing season, and infusions of horsetail, yarrow, willow and nettle to discourage the growth of parasitic fungal diseases.
Vinification
Harvest is done by hand from the beginning of September to the beginning of October. The wine is made without technological processing or chemical additives. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and no additions of sulphur dioxide. Natural malolactic fermentation after the alcoholic fermentation, sometimes ending in the spring. After one siphoning to prepare the bulk, all the wines are bottled by gravity, without filtering or adding clearing agents or sulphites.
