Le Coste's famously peerless rosato. Aleatico from a 50-year-old vineyard, planted some 500 metres above sea level planted on volcanic soils rich in iron and minerals. The grapes were pressed directly and aged in a combination of old barrels and porcelain amphorae. Reflecting the freshness of the vintage, this is pale, nuanced and whistle clean, offering delicate notes of minerals, blood orange, rose and peach. As impressive as ever offering complexity in spades and impeccable balance, this is one of the great rosé wines.
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 a real patience in this respect results 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.
