Le Coste-Lazio-Italy


photography wineterroirs

High above Lake Bolsena in Italy’s Lazio region lies Le Coste, a winery with a story as beautiful as the view. It began in 2004, when French winemaker Clémentine Bouveron and Italian native Gianmarco Antonuzzi fell in love—not just with each other, but with a patch of abandoned land called Le Coste. What was once wild and overgrown has now become their playground for making wines full of soul and character.

Clémentine brought her French training (including time with the legendary Bruno Schueller), while Gianmarco swapped a law degree and a sommelier’s life for soil under his nails and barrels in the cellar. Together, they’ve created something unique: wines that taste like the land itself.

The vineyards sit 450 metres above sea level on rich volcanic soils, which give the wines a natural energy and a whisper of the earth they come from. But Le Coste is more than rows of vines—it’s a living patchwork of grasses, olive trees, fruit orchards, chestnuts, and oaks. It feels less like farming and more like letting nature run free.

What makes Le Coste stand out is their fearless honesty. The wines ferment on their own with native yeasts, bottled without filtration, and with little to no additives. Each vineyard parcel is treated as its own little world, letting the vintage guide the outcome rather than following strict recipes.

Some fun facts:

  • They skip official biodynamic certification—not because they don’t care, but because they’d rather keep their freedom.

  • Some vines are 40–60 years old, others are freshly planted, creating a mix of heritage and youth.

  • They don’t just grow grapes—olive trees, fruit, and wild woodland are all part of the estate.

  • In special years, they release rare cuvées, experimenting with vessels and aging styles to keep things exciting.

At its heart, Le Coste is a love story between two people and a wild volcanic hillside. Their wines aren’t about polish or perfection—they’re about capturing the feeling of place. Every bottle whispers of herbs on the breeze, ancient vines, volcanic earth, and the hands that shaped it.