As good as it gets - 92p

Far north in Spain lies Castilla y León, one of the country’s 17 autonomous regions and the largest. But with only about 2,4 million people, there is a lot of land for agriculture. And that’s good, because the region produces some of the finest wines in Spain. Mostly reds and Tempranillo being the main grape. The whites are more rare, but the ones made are often with exceptional quality. ​

​The Ossian winery has made a mission of cultivating just one grape and making it as good as it gets; Verdejo. A grape native to the northern parts of Africa, but which made it to Castilla y León in the 11th century. Spanish winemakers discovered that it had exceptional qualities to produce sherry. An oxidative wine added brandy in the final stages. Once upon a time considered as the finest wine in the world.

Anyway, great winemakers, like the ones at Ossian, then discovered that Verdejo can be so much more than sherry. 



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With grapes sourced from vines more than 200 years old, the raw material - the juice - is fabulous. The century old vines have pierced through layers of slate rock which brings an elegant minerality. Also, yields are low making the concentration great.
This is a complex wine for special occasions. It will age gracefully, and you could cellar it for a decade. But it can be enjoyed now as well, just give it an hour or so in a carafe.
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It’s an amazing wine to pair with food and a great way to discover high end whites from Spain.

Tasting notes

Ossian 2019 - 344kr

Deep straw yellow.
Intriguing nose of dried fruits, roasted nuts, butter and biscuits. Nice layers of lemon zest and some tropical notes.
Rich and complex in the mouth with nice concentration and well integrated oak. An oriental spicy finish that lingers in your mouth for ever. 

With food 
Try it with cured ham or hard French cheeses like Comté. It will do great with a chicken cassoulet with cream and white wine. Another great match can be grilled fish with soy butter or a really good olive oil.