Ossian: Capitel Verdejo 2023

Parker om: Capitel Verdejo

The single-vineyard 2023 Capitel was produced with the grapes from an ancient 1.1-hectare plot in Nieva, called Peña Aguda, a unique place on slate, schist, quartzite and limestone, where the plants are extremely old. This is a vineyard that is different from the rest and has always been the backbone of Capitel, but since 2019, the wine has been 100% from there. The clusters were pressed, and the juice fermented with the full lees and indigenous yeasts in 666-liter oak barrels—a change this year, as it used to ferment in 228-liter barrels—and the wine was kept without racking in those barrels for 12 months. It's still pale and young, with a bright color and a nuanced nose with a core of white fruit, herbs and flowers with a smoky and spicy touch. It has a dry, chalky mouthfeel and a bitter and salty twist in the finish. The texture from the slate is completely different. The 2023s have contained ripeness and around 13% alcohol. In general, the 2023s are fresher than the 2022s. 2,941 bottles were filled in February 2025.