2020 Ossian Capitel BIO

The Capitel is a great expressive Verdejo wine. Rigorous selection of the oldest vines in Nieva (Segovia), aged for 10 months in new and second-year French oak barrels. Verdejo of an unprecedented high level and then an almost one year bottle aging. Only 2,200 bottles have been made of this exclusive top wine and the wine is certified organic. The 2020 became available in mid-spring 2023 and all in extremely low quantities.

The Ossian Capitel is produced from the grapes of the oldest vines (some even 180 years old) in the village of Nieva (Segovia) on slate soil at an altitude of 900 meters. This top wine has a creamy aroma with a nice minerality, balsamic vinegar and freshly cut grass. The taste is powerful, complex, fresh with pungent flavors and a clear bitter aftertaste; the whole is very intense and almost spicy. It has the right concentration, structure and acidity and will continue to develop in the coming years. This is the top of Ossian and the top of the Verdejos

FACT: The single vineyard for the Ossian Capitel is not affected by grape aphid (pre-Phylloxera) and is therefore so old. This is because the louse moves through a tunnel system in the ground. The soil of the Ossian and Ossian Capitel is so extremely sandy that the louse is unable to dig a tunnel (it then collapses again) and that is why these vineyards are so extremely old and still completely authentic. In the Tab: Attachment you will find the official factsheet of this icon.

Ossian was the mini-project of Javier Zaccagnini, also partner and director of Aalto in Ribera Del Duero, and Ismael Gazalo, whose family has been making wine in the region for many years. The famous winery Pago de Carraovejas now owns Ossian and they have continued the trend in making absolute top quality wines. The extremely old Verdejo vineyards are located in the village of 'Nieva' and are 850 meters above sea level. The vines are between 100 and 160 years old making this the longest certified organic vineyard in Castilla y León. The vineyards are located on sandy soils, so the Ossian is still made from the original ungrafted authentic grape vines (so pre-Phylloxera). On Ossian not just a Rueda is made as you will find a dime a dozen. No, on the contrary, Javier hired a topoenologist from Burgundy. Together they vinify the small yield of unique Verdejo in a Burgundian way, just as Pierre does with Chardonnay in Meursault and Puligny Montrachet. In some years a top-top cuvée is made 'Ossian Capitel'. Ossian has become Spain's most respected white wine in just a few years.