Why Rachele Loves It

Ossian is produced in Nieva, Segovia, where you can find sandy loam soils. Thanks to this soil, phylloxera—which decimated European vineyards in the late 19th Century—has not been able to attack the local vines. As a result, the vines here are often more than 200 years old. 

These vineyards preserve the genetic diversity of the different Verdejo vines planted by the old inhabitants of the area. Ossian is the result of blending wines individually vinified from each small plot. The grapes are harvested by hand, then selected both in the field and again at the winery to ensure only the best grapes are used. The bunches then rest in refrigerated storage at just 5°C in order to preserve the aromas of the grapes while awaiting the start of the winemaking process. The juice is released via a gentle pressing and fermented with ambient yeasts in wooden barrels and vats of varying capacity. A spontaneous fermentation allows the wine to be the best expression of local Nieva terroir. 

The wine matures in barrels on lees for nine months, with some periodic stirring (also known as bâtonnage) that enhances the flavour, texture, and complexity of the final product. This is followed by another twelve months of ageing in the bottle.

Rachele says that for her, quite simply, there are very few wines in the world that combine the quality of grapes found on such old vines with the attention to detail and careful, painstaking winemaking that have created Ossian. Truly a rare treat for any wine lover.