OSSIAN

The autumn of 2019 was marked by mild temperatures and somewhat higher than usual precipitation. January and February were unusually warm, which led to an early start to spring. The first weeping of the vines took place in mid-March, but bud break took place a month later due to particularly cold weather, with snow falling on 31 March. May was a month of mild temperatures and abundant rainfall that facilitated adequate vegetative development, with flowering occurring place in the first week of June. The summer was warm and dry, allowing for an excellent sanitary state of the vineyard and the beginning of veraison at the end of August. Harvest began on 8 September and lasted until 30 September.

The soils surrounding Nieva are the radical difference in this environment: the sands and pebbles prevented the arrival of phylloxera, which devastated the European vineyards, and have allowed this landscape to be dotted with small vineyards of centenary vines. A harsh climate of cold winters and hot summers characterise the development of a different type of Verdejo. The vineyards planted centuries ago also preserve the genetic diversity of the different Verdejo vines that the old inhabitants of the area planted in each vineyard. This biological richness adds further complexity to the interpretation of each plot.

Ossian is the result of a blend of individual vinification of each small plot. Viticulture, in accordance with organic certification standards and the revivial of traditional local methods, respects the character of the vines up to 200 years old. The grapes are harvested in small crates and brought to the winery. After a light pressing, the must is transferred to vats and wooden barrels of between 228 and 600 litres. The indigenous yeasts used in the spontaneous fermentation process reflect the purity and complexity of these grapes over the following weeks. Ossian 2020 was assembled and bottled in the summer of 2021 after approximately 9 months of ageing on its lees.