Fans of Le Coste’s entry-level red wines will find plenty to love here! Nelson's ‘Castagno’ Rosso is built on a core of Sangiovese and Montepulciano pulled from twenty five year old vines planted over clay and limestone in nearby Orvieto. Winemaking is simple and to the point: the Castagno is fermented almost entirely with whole bunches for three weeks before being transferred to chestnut casks for a nine month nap. A beautifully honest, low-frills little charmer, the wine leads with a kaleidoscope of cherry elements – black, red, pits, stems, leaves, bark – the works! Spicy, soil-y florals reminiscent of a florist’s fridge, licorice, balsamic, and woody herbs waft amidst a playful to-and-fro between sweet, tart and spice, the final throes of the Castagno stitched together with a flicker of brimstone and cold tea tannins that give bones to an overarchingly soft and inviting little picnic wine. Good luck not finishing the bottle in one sitting.
A young Australian in Italy, now settled in Lazio after spending time in the cellars of Le Coste and Cantina Giardino? Tickle us intrigued! La Gazzetta is Trish Nelson, an Aussie who found her way to Italy, and specifically Lago di Bolsena, after years of wanderlust (by her early twenties she had already lived in half a dozen different countries across four continents). Having fallen in love with the food and wine of Italy, and equipped with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, she traveled the country, meeting its most talented artisans, notably spending several years living, working, and learning alongside two of the most influential producers in Italy on the lo-fi scene (and two of our perennial favorites), Antonio and Daniela of Cantina Giardino and Gianmarco and Clementine of Le Coste. As one would expect with mentors like that, Trish's line up of wines trends toward the firmly non-interventionist space – wild and soulful, but never without the lift and vibrancy ubiquitous to Lago di Bolsena’s fine volcanic sands, keeping your palate’s interest piqued, and more importantly, both your intellect and your thirst quenched.