Le Coste "Litrozzo" Vino Bianco Biologico, Lazio, Italy 2022

A blend of Procanico, Malvasia, Roscetto, Verdello, Petino and Romanesco.

Incredibly drinkable but never simple. The name points to the beautiful and quite handy 1L format. Enriched by the volcanic soils, the grapes ferment wildly and age shortly in fiberglass. Bright acidity and blinding freshness join up with rich and crunchy fruit: pomelo and basil sherbet with verbena, mango and salted starfruit.

Gianmarco Antonuzzi and Clémentine Bouveron tend around 14 hectares of land, with vineyards amongst olive groves, chestnut trees, shrubs and oaks. Sat around Lago di Bolsena near Gianmarco’s childhood town of Gradoli in Lazio’s north, the soils are volcanic, rich in iron and minerals.

Vines are planted at a density of up to 10,000 plants per hectare, from a mix of massale selections and ungrafted vines. Everything is done by hand, with careful attention to the needs of each plant and while biodynamic principles are employed, the approach here goes above and beyond.

Each year they produce a dizzying number of different wines which are vinified in an ancient cellar in the village’s centre where nothing is added at any stage. To taste here is a real treat: Gianmarco is a master of élevage and his efforts result in some of the purest, most delicious wines we have tried. This is a fascinating project, where the passion and dedication of two people is single handedly putting one of Italy’s lesser known villages firmly on the map.