Winemaker Notes
Ossian Capitel is a pure expression of very old Verdejo vines - finesse, elegance and longevity. It is made in selected years with a selection of extraordinary grapes. Old golden yellow color with greenish reflections. Intense yellow and white fruits, balsamic notes. Fresh, full and concentrated.
Pair with turkey flocks in mustard sauce, smoked tuna tartare and salmon.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This unique white from very old vines is a serious contender for Spain’s top verdejo. The typical notes of fennel and bitter almonds are barely noticeable: Instead, it’s more lemony and mineral, a touch of wasabi piquancy and creamy toast from the wood lending a Burgundian sensibility. Almost full-bodied, showing natural acidity with substantial flavor and length. From organically grown grapes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Capitel is a single-vineyard wine from an ancient 1.5-hectare plot in Nieva, called Peña Aguda. The clusters were pressed, the juice fermented with indigenous yeasts in 228-liter oak barrels, and the wine was kept without racking in those barrels for 12 months. It has the sapid, almost salty character from the slate soils. They believe this is the vintage when they managed to capture the character of the place, while the wine is elegant and crunchy, with the old expression of the variety—dry and with a bitter twist in the finish.
Captivating and full of character, Verdejo grows with great success in Rueda, Spain and virtually nowhere else in Europe. It has become so trendy in Spain since the turn of the century that plantings have also increased tremendously. Somm Secret—Contrary to what some may think, it is actually not related to the Portugese variety with a very similar name, Verdelho. In fact, DNA profiling suggests it may be a sibling of Godello, another native of NW Spain.
Rueda is located along the banks of the Duero River in Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive north of Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back to the 12th century, it was in the 1980s that the region was granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 70 wineries call Rueda home. This national favorite is the top-selling white wine in Spain.
Notable facts Rueda’s main grape variety, Verdejo, gets it distinct complexity from stressful growing conditions and mineral-rich soil. Think of Verdejo as a fuller-bodied and more aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. A lush and smooth character with perfectly balanced acidity means Rueda wines pair well with seafood, fresh salads and spicy food, but are also great on their own.