Ossian 2023 Organic Castilla y León

Ossian 2020 is the representation of a small group of Verdejo plots that host a centuries-old winemaking tradition in the area of Nieva. Vineyards up to 200 years old bear witness to the uniqueness of their varietal diversity, their traditional local practices, and an almost extinct reality. Ossian is a primitive and historical heritage. The 2020 Ossian vintage preserves the elegance and freshness of a unique pre-phylloxera Verdejo. A landscape that has preserved the historical reality of Segovian Verdejo for hundreds of years. Genetic diversity hidden in every vineyard. Surprising subtlety. Length in a calm finish, through which the authentic character of the Nieva environment re-emerges.

An exceptional vintage

Autumn 2019 was characterized by mild temperatures and slightly above-average rainfall. January and February were unusually warm, bringing about an early start to spring. The first "tears" of the vine appeared in mid-March, but budburst occurred a month later due to particularly cold mornings—it even snowed on March 31st. May was a month of mild temperatures and abundant rainfall, which allowed for appropriate vegetative development, with flowering taking place in the first week of June. The summer was hot and dry, which gave the vineyard excellent health and the start of ripening at the end of August. The harvest began on September 8 and lasted until September 30.

Biological diversity

The soils surrounding Nieva represent the radical difference of this environment: the sand and pebbles prevented the arrival of the phylloxera that devastated European vineyards, allowing this landscape to be dotted today with small vineyards of century-old vines. A harsh climate with icy winters and hot summers shapes the development of a somewhat different Verdejo. The vines planted centuries ago also preserve a genetic diversity of the various Verdejo strains that the old inhabitants of the area planted in each vineyard. This biological richness brings greater complexity to the interpretation of each plot.

Plot-based winemaking

Ossian is the result of individual winemaking for each small plot. Viticulture following organic certification standards and the recovery of traditional local methods respects the character of vines that are up to 200 years old. The grapes are collected in small crates and brought to the winery. After light pressing, the must is transferred to vats and wooden barrels of 228 to 600 liters. The native yeasts used in the spontaneous fermentation reflect the purity and complexity of these grapes in the following weeks. Ossian 2020 was blended and bottled in the summer of 2021 after about 9 months of aging on the lees.