2012 Ossian

Pretty significant oak spice on the nose. Has the fleshiness and stone fruit of Mâcon, or Languedoc, perhaps. Really dry and stony finish, with impressive persistence – in fact, the oak is a distant memory by the time the finish comes. Impressive complex steel and shell character. (RH)

The 2012 Ossian has an explosive and balsamic nose of camphor, dried herbs and a touch of diesel intermixed with yellow fruit and spicy and smoky undertones from the wood. The palate is medium-bodied, with pungent flavors and plenty of influence from the oak aging. Drink now-2017. Ossian is now a joint venture between Ismael Gozalo and Pago de Carraovejas, the Ribera del Duero winery that purchased the part that used to belong to Javier Zaccagnini. All their wines are now sold as Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon. There is a new wave of whites from old-vine Verdejo grapes produced in collaboration with some German winemakers, Klaus Peter Keller and Nick Weis, treating Verdejo as if it was Riesling that is called Verdling. There’s one trocken (dry) and one sweet (dulce) produced in the Rheinhessen and Mosel way respectively. A completely revolutionary way of understanding Verdejo! Importers: Kysela, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228, www.kysela.com; Alphapac Marketing Company, Miami, FL; tel. (786) 268-7998