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Le Coste

Lulu' Syrah 2020

Price: $47.95
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Tasting notes

This is Syrah that tastes like its place — black olive, brine, and bramble fruit underpinned by the iron-rich volcanic soils of Lake Bolsena. The 20-month aging in small French oak and the extended skin contact give it real grip and depth without obscuring the terroir. It is the more serious sibling in a two-Syrah lineup, built for the table rather than easy drinking.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
BlackberryBlack OliveBlack PepperEarth
  • Style: Dry, full-bodied red; volcanic Syrah; dark fruit, black olive, brine, firm tannins; 14% ABV
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Syrah; young vines; volcanic soils (tuff, lapilli, ash), iron-rich; 450m elevation, Lake Bolsena, Gradoli, Lazio
  • Winemaking: Whole-bunch fermentation ~2 weeks; hand-destemmed; 3-week skin maceration; 20 months in 5hl old French oak; 6 months bottle; no sulfites, unfined, unfiltered
  • Serving: Serve at 60-65F; 30-45 min decant recommended
  • Pairing: Grilled lamb, braised short rib, aged Pecorino Romano, pasta all'amatriciana
  • Similar To: For fans of structured northern Rhône Syrah (Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph) who want volcanic Italian terroir

Lulù is 100% Syrah from young vines grown on volcanic soils above Lake Bolsena in Gradoli, northern Lazio, at approximately 450 meters elevation. The soils are loose and friable, derived from pyroclastic eruptions, and are rich in iron and minerals. In 2020, Le Coste produced two distinct Syrahs — Ninì and Lulù — vinified separately to express different characters. Lulù is the more structured, austere of the two.

Winemaking follows a specific sequence: whole-bunch fermentation in a French oak vat for approximately two weeks, then hand-destemming, a further three weeks of skin maceration, and pressing directly to old barrels. The wine aged 20 months in 5-hectoliter French oak barrels, followed by six months of bottle maturation before release. No sulfites added, unfined, unfiltered.

On the nose, the wine offers brambly dark fruit, woody herbs, black olive, and brine. The palate is firm and structured with decisive tannin extraction, distinguishing it clearly from the lighter Ninì. The volcanic terroir adds a mineral salinity that runs through the finish.

Farming at Le Coste is certified organic and conducted according to biodynamic principles. Vines are planted at up to 10,000 plants per hectare, a mix of massale selections and ungrafted vines. All vineyard work is done by hand. No additions are made in the cellar at any stage.

The firm tannins and savory olive-and-herb profile make this a natural match for grilled lamb chops or braised short rib. It also works well alongside aged Pecorino Romano or Cacio de Roma. A slow-cooked tomato-based pasta, such as a Lazio-style amatriciana, bridges the wine's acidity and fruit.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Syrah
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2020
Alcohol:, 14%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Lazio
Appellation:, N/A
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Le Coste

Le Coste di Gradoli was founded in 2004 by Gianmarco Antonuzzi and Clémentine Bouveron. Antonuzzi grew up in Gradoli and left a legal career in Rome to work with natural wine producers in France. He trained alongside Bruno Schueller in Alsace, Didier Barral in Languedoc, Jean-Paul Thévenet in Beaujolais, and Philippe Pacalet in Burgundy. It was in Alsace that he met Bouveron, who had studied viticulture and oenology at Bordeaux. The two returned to Gradoli, purchasing an initial three-hectare abandoned vineyard that Antonuzzi knew from childhood.

The estate has grown from that original three hectares to approximately 14 hectares today, comprising vineyards, olive groves, chestnut trees, and oak woodland. Vineyards are planted at up to 10,000 vines per hectare, a mix of massale selections and ungrafted vines, on volcanic soils at 450 to 600 meters elevation on the hills above Lake Bolsena. Farming is certified organic and guided by biodynamic principles. All vineyard work is done by hand. The estate grows primarily indigenous northern Lazio varieties — Procanico, Roscetto, Aleatico, Malvasia, Grechetto Rosso, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, and others — alongside Syrah and Merlot, which have been planted in response to the volcanic terroir's affinity for the varieties.

Fermentations occur spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The cellar is gravity-fed, eliminating the use of pumps for all rackings. No additives are used at any stage of winemaking or aging. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfites. Aging vessels vary by wine and vintage — old French oak barrels, stainless steel, fiberglass tanks, and cement vats are all employed. The Lulù Syrah specifically is aged 20 months in 5-hectoliter old French oak barrels, followed by six months in bottle before release.

Wine region

Lazio, Italy

Lazio occupies central Italy, bordered by Tuscany and Umbria to the north, Abruzzo and Molise to the east, and Campania to the south. The region is dominated by volcanic geology: ancient eruptions created the Colli Albani hills south of Rome and, in the north, the caldera that now holds Lake Bolsena, Europe's largest volcanic crater lake. The soils around Bolsena are loose and friable, composed of tuff, lapilli, volcanic ash, and pumice, rich in iron and minerals. Vineyards in the Gradoli area sit at approximately 450 meters above sea level on the lake's northwestern slopes, where altitude and the lake's thermal mass create significant diurnal temperature variation during the growing season.

Lazio produces roughly 1.4 million hectoliters of wine across approximately 20,400 hectares, with white varieties accounting for over 70% of plantings. The best-known appellations are Frascati Superiore DOCG and Cannellino di Frascati DOCG in the Castelli Romani south of Rome, and Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone DOC around Lake Bolsena, a blend of Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano Giallo, and Malvasia. The only DOC in the Gradoli area is Aleatico di Gradoli, a tiny appellation for sweet and fortified red wines from the Aleatico grape. Producers like Le Coste working with international varieties such as Syrah operate outside formal DOC designations, selling under the broader Lazio IGT or as Vino da Tavola. Interest in the region's red wines, and in the volcanic north in particular, has grown significantly through the natural wine movement.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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