LE COSTE
Vasalone 2019 [1.5L]
Lazio, Italy
This one-off comes from Aleatico harvested from an old vineyard usually reserved for their Rosato. In 2019 they decided to destem some of the grapes and do a short maceration, before pressing off to old barrels for a year. The result is hazy, ethereal and hauntingly beautiful wine, with soaring notes of sour berries, minerals and rose. Best enjoyed quickly and in good company, though bottled only in magnum, it won’t last long.
Aleatico
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
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.