Country: | Spain |
Regions: | Leon Rueda |
Winery: | Ossian Vides y Vinos |
Grape Type: | Verdejo |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Ossian Capitel Verdejo is made from 100% Verdejo.
Ossian Capital represents a particular expression of very old Verdejo vines, taking its potential far finesse, elegance and longevity. It is made in selected years with a selection of extraordinary grapes.
Color: Old golden yellow color with greenish reflections.
Aromas: Surprisingly nuanced and profound.
Flavors: Fresh, full and very light.
Review:
"The 2020 Capitel is pure Verdejo from the oldest vines from the Peña Aguda vineyard in the village of Nieva on slate soils. This is the last vineyard to be bottled and has higher alcohol (14%) than the rest of the vineyards despite now harvesting earlier. The wine has a different aromatic profile but getting closer to the style of Ossian, less opulent than in the past, with more energy, quite fruit-driven with some exotic notes reminiscent of banana skin. The whole clusters were pressed and the juice put to ferment in barrel where the wine matured with the lees and, starting this year, without bâtonnage, because they feel the wines have enough volume and stirring the lees can bring more oxidation to the wine. 2,500 bottles produced. - Luis GUTIERREZ"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (January 31st 2023), 93+ pts
Ossian Quintaluna Verdejo is made from 100% Verdejo
Quintaluna is a young wine that is made exclusively from Verdejo in the province of Segovia. 60% is very old grape: pre-phylloxera (ungrafted). 40% is made of very young grapes on trellises, grown certified organic, with low yields. The key to success for the Verdejo grape is held in the soil. Ideal soil has a high content of sand and pebbles of different sizes. Some have higher proportions of clay and others have significant proportions of clay and limestone. As the pebbles and sand allow for good drainage, the clay holds enough moisture to allow the vines to thrive.
The color is a straw yellow with greenish reflections. On the nose, you will find aromas of white flowers, stone fruit (peach), and citrus (lemon, mandarin). It also displays tropical fruit aromas. The palate is complex. Natural acidity is evident in the freshness and length on the palate. Almond and ripe fruit flavors are found in the mid-palate with fresh grass and citrus on the finish.
It pairs wells with all kinds of appetizers, entrees and salads.
Review:
"Light, bright straw. Fresh pear, orange pith and a suggestion of pungent flowers on the powerfully scented nose, along with a building mineral nuance. Juicy and incisive in the mouth, offering Meyer lemon, pear and quince flavors accented by a spicy ginger flourish. Silky and focused on the finish, which shows powerful floral lift, minerally cut and impressive persistence. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2021), 92 pts
Ossian Quintaluna Verdejo is made from 100% Verdejo
Quintaluna is a young wine that is made exclusively from Verdejo in the province of Segovia. 60% is very old grape: pre-phylloxera (ungrafted). 40% is made of very young grapes on trellises, grown certified organic, with low yields. The key to success for the Verdejo grape is held in the soil. Ideal soil has a high content of sand and pebbles of different sizes. Some have higher proportions of clay and others have significant proportions of clay and limestone. As the pebbles and sand allow for good drainage, the clay holds enough moisture to allow the vines to thrive.
The color is a straw yellow with greenish reflections. On the nose, you will find aromas of white flowers, stone fruit (peach), and citrus (lemon, mandarin). It also displays tropical fruit aromas. The palate is complex. Natural acidity is evident in the freshness and length on the palate. Almond and ripe fruit flavors are found in the mid-palate with fresh grass and citrus on the finish.
It pairs wells with all kinds of appetizers, entrees and salads.
Review:
"The 2020 Quintaluna is pure Verdejo from small plots on sandy soils in the province of Segovia, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. They still use grapes from external suppliers but are working toward using 100% their own grapes (which they might achieve in 2023); therefore, the wine is not certified organic, because some of the vineyards from the growers are not certified. It has a balsamic nose reminiscent of bay leaf, dried yellow flowers, chamomile and pollen intermixed with pit fruit. It has a dry palate and a chalky texture, with balance and finesse, with moderate ripeness and 13.5% alcohol. 110,000 bottles. - Luis GUTIERREZ"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (January 31st 2023), 92 pts
Amador Diez Cuvee Verdejo is made from
This cuvee is named after Amador Diez de Íscar, who was president of the winery for 21 years. It is produced in limited quantity with meticulous care from a selection of the 10 best hectares of the winery’s centennial pre-phylloxera vineyard – harvested by hand – and vinified with the aim of favoring its longevity, making it ideal for its consumption today while maintaining great aging potential. The wine is bottled manually with an exclusive presentation that includes a label stamped on wood.
Straw yellow color. Dominant aromas of white fruits, citrus fruits and anise. The barrel ageing brings delicate sweet aromas, such as coconut, vanilla, and liquorice. Fresh, rich and intense on the palate with typical flavors from the Verdejo grape variety.
Pair with appetizers, fish and especially seafood. Also grilled meats and food of intense flavors such as cheeses and ham.
Review:
"One of the most ambitious Rueda whites, this comes from a selection of pre-phylloxera vineyards and is built to age. The oak is better integrated than on the 2015, which is also available in the market right now, supporting a wine with amazing intensity and focus. Nutty and intense, it has flavours of pear, citrus and marzipan, with undertones of fennel and cinnamon, good structure and racy, palate-cleansing acidity."
- Tim Atkin (November 2020), 95 pts
J. Christopher Appassionata Fortissimo Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Inspired by the three movements of Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Piano Sonata, there are three Appassionata Pinot Noirs, released at different tempos.
The finale of the Appassionata Pinot Sonata is Fortissimo (dynamically forceful). Selected for ultimate expressivity and longevity, it is not released until 10 years after the vintage. This is the epitome of expressive excellence that we are seeking in Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – a wine that combines brooding intensity with lilting grace and can stand alongside the classic wines of the world. The 2012 Fortissimo is muscular and full-bodied, with a deep color and seamless structure. In this phase of maturation, tertiary aromas begin to show a profound complexity and subtle earthiness that only develops with bottle age and cannot be accelerated
Review:
Loosen Bros. and J. Christopher Wines just released the Fortissimo and it is showing great acidity and fine-grained tannins. Its aromas and flavors of sweet red cherries, roasted pork shoulder and orange-pekoe tea are alive and kicking. Enjoy 2023–2032.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Ossian Capital represents a particular expression of very old Verdejo vines, taking its potential far finesse, elegance and longevity. It is made in selected years with a selection of extraordinary grapes.
Color: Old golden yellow color with greenish reflections.
Aromas: Surprisingly nuanced and profound.
Flavors: Fresh, full and very light.
Manual harvest in 15kg crates. Eveythin is then sorted on a sorting table. Full clusters, without de-stemming and pressing is done with a manual vertical press allowing a very gentle pressure on the grapes. Certified organic farming. 3.300 tons of grape that produced 1600 liters of wine, which fermented in four barrels of 228 liters and a 600 liter barrel of exceptional quality. After fermentation the wine remained without racking in French oak barrels, 50% new and 50% 1 year old barrels. Before the end of the aging, the wine remains on his lees for 10 months with a batonnage (stirring up of the lees). Partial malolactic fermentation is done in barrel.
Review:
"(all verdejo, from ungrafted vines that are now reportedly more than a century old): Hazy yellow. Deeply pitched, smoky pear and peach pit aromas are brightened by gingery spices, a hint of quinine and dusty minerals. Intense orchard and pit fruit flavors stain the palate, picking up citrus zest and bitter pear skin qualities with air. Succulent herb and anise notes linger on the strikingly long, chewy, penetrating finish, which features suave leesy and mineral qualities."- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (September/October 2014), 93 pts
"The 2012 Capitel is produced with the fruit of centenary, head-pruned, ungrafted Verdejo grapes grown in Nieva, in the province of Segovia. This is the cooler part of the Rueda appellation on a limited part of the village where the soils are rich in slate and the vineyards are located at nearly 900 meters altitude. As soon as you put your nose in the glass you know this wine is different, and I think the soil immediately makes it different from the rest of the wines from the region. It has a marked balsamic personality, with aromas of cedar wood, bay leaf, cigar ash and yellow fruit. The palate is powerful, shows good concentration, balance and acidity, if still a little marked by the oak, ending dry and with an austere, mineral sensation. I'd be interested to see how this wine ages. This is a powerful, concentrated Verdejo full of character. Drink now-2020. - Luis Gutierrez" - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue #214, August 2014), 93 pts
Ossian Vides y Vinos Estate
With raw material of similar quality, Javier Zaccagnini and Ishmael Gozalo traveled to Burgundy in search of a good winemaker. There they found Pierre Millemann, which already had a strong reputation and long experience in developing large Burgundian whites. Pierre accepted the challenge and he is now in charge of the design and supervision of what this wine should be.
Under his guidance began the project with the 2005 harvest, were making two different cuvées, and fermenting the juice in Burgundian 228-liter barrels manufactured by four different coopers (all from Burgundy), with oak from three different forests, with 2 different roast. All this was intended to investigate what wood is best suited to the Verdejo grape, and endowed the wine more complexity.
The vineyards are located in the town of Nieva (Segovia). The cellar in which the project started is a small facility that is part of the old Monastery of El Parral, the twelfth century, opposite the Church, Mudejar Romanesque style, from the same era.
In short this is an old project 100% grape Verdejo 100%, 100% ungrafted, 100% organically grown, 100% fermented in oak barrels, 100% Burgundian philosophy.
The first vintage, 2005 Ossian, was bottled on October 25, 2006, yielding 12,000 bottles were put on the market in December of that year, after nine months of barrel aging and 2 months of bottle aging. Sold out in three weeks and they were awarded a 93 point score in the Penin Guide.
The project was founded on an absolutely exceptional vineyards: 9 hectares of venerable vineyards between 100 and 200 years old. This is a pre-phylloxera Verdejo since that escaped the plague because of its sandy soils.
Ossian Vides y Vinos Vineyard
The vineyards are located in the town of Nieva (Segovia province), the highest in altitude among of all the villages that are included in the D.O. Rueda, between 840 and 930 meters above sea level (150 meters in the area near the Duero River). This causes a specific climate, with higher thermal oscillations between day and night in the valley, delaying the harvest date and, finally, improving the quality of wine.
Moreover, Ossian has been certified Organic for more than seven years. The winery does not get a single chemical synthesis, or fertilizer, herbicides or fungicides of any kind. It is the oldest registered and certified organic vineyard in the D.O. Rueda.
Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Domaine Jean Grivot is among the great names in Burgundian wine. Étienne Grivot and his wife Marielle took over from Étienne’s father Jean Grivot in 1987. The vineyards are densely planted and farmed organically “sans certification” while the aim in the cellar is for balance and clear expression of terroir.
Jean Grivot’s 38.3 acres spread across 22 appellations with vineyards in the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Besides the three grand crus, there are 8 premier crus including the much lauded Les Beaux Monts and Suchots in Vosne-Romanée. The grapes are completely de-stemmed and fermentation is spontaneous.
About the Vineyard:
Clos de Vougeot grand cru was acquired by Étienne’s grandfather, Gaston Grivot, in 1919. The total holding is 4.6 acres from the middle of the vineyard to the lower wall and the average vine age is 40 years old. A good Clos de Vougeot should be a complete wine without any one feature standing out. It is a perfect balance of power, aroma, and flavor.
Wine Production:
The grapes are destemmed and maceration à froid usually lasts just a day or two. The alcoholic fermentation is spontaneous and malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. Depending on the vintage, the proportion of new oak is around 40-70% percent for the grands crus.
Tasting Notes:
The wine shows aromas and flavors of red berries, herbs, and purple flowers. The palate is rich with ripe fruit and medium weight with bright acidity and fine tannins. Aging in 40-70% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla, toast, and baking spices.
Food Pairing:
Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami.
Review:
This round version is packed with ripe black cherry, violet, graphite and tobacco flavors. The silky texture and vibrant acidity work in tandem, while refined tannins provide support without getting in the way. There are a few edges to be worked out, yet this is long and concentrated.
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
Busi Chianti Rufina (Half Bottle) is made from 100% Sangiovese.
Fresh, fruity, with classic tart cherry.
Appearance: ruby-red in color.
Aroma: clean, floral notes.
Flavor: well structured and harmonic on the palate; easy drinking with a soft and lingering finish. Ageing potential: 10/15 years.
Production area: amidst the hills of Pelago in the Chianti Rufina D.O.C.G. area, with a soil composition of marly, calcareous clay as typically found in the Arno valley east of Florence.
Aspect: south-facing.
Altitude: 200/350 m above sea level.
Cultivation method: spurred cordon.
Harvest period: from the 20th of September until the middle of October.
Vinification: the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature (26/28°C) for 10 days before racking and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. After fermentation the wine is put into wooden barrels.
Fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for 7 to 8 days, with an additional 3 to 4 days on the skins. The wine is then racked and goes through malolactic. It is then racked again and stays another 7 months in stainless steel.
Adapts well to both light and more substantial dishes.