Oseleta Veneto IGT 2013

Az. Agr. Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari | Veneto
Az. Agr. Zýmē di Celestino Gaspari s.a.s. | Via Cà del Pipa, 1 | IT 37029 S. Pietro in Cariano

03373113 · 0,75 l · 66,65 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping7 units available

Her name is Oseleta – and it was almost forgotten. For centuries, it was at home in the vineyards of Valpolicella and Monti Lessini, a grape variety with extreme tannin, high acidity and a colour that tends towards purple like no other. Then came modernity, and with it the standardised varieties. The Oseleta almost completely disappeared – until Celestino Gaspari began to vinify it in purity in 2001. He initially called it "Oz": "O" for Oseleta, round like a berry, and "Z" for Zýmē. It was not until 2008 – when the result lived up to the claim – it was given back its full name. The vineyards are located on calcareous-clay and alluvial soils in Illasi, Lavagno and Parona. Hand-picked at the beginning of October in 300-kilogram bins, destemming, 15 days of fermentation with indigenous yeasts, then at least 36 months in barriques, one year in the bottle.

2013 was a cool, rainy year in the Veneto – a vintage of stillness and tension rather than abundance. The 2013 bears this with dignity: deep purple red with a violet hue. Blueberry, wild ribes and blackberry on the nose – clear, crisp, mineral, almost cool. Graphite, damp earth opens up with time. Taut on the palate, with impressive acidity and a tannin that has decades ahead of it. A wine that shows what this grape variety has to say in a year of transparency. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2013 Oseleta is dark and brooding, but also seductive, with balsamic spices, cocoa and mentholated herbs giving way to cinnamon-dusted blackcurrants. It envelops the palate with a silky fruit texture, but quickly gains tension as a stimulating acidity and sour citrus nuances meet under a hint of rosy inner flowers. It finishes structured and coats the cheeks with fine-grained tannins, while traces of liquorice and tobacco fade. The 2013 Oseleta is a wild wine that is still years away from its optimal drinking window. That said, I doubt the acidity will ever recede, so plan to enjoy it with a savoury stew or a fatty cut of meat." Vinous

"Tantalising aromas of baked cherries with dried red and purple flowers follow through to a tight and concentrated, medium-bodied palate with plenty of fruit and still active tannins. The finish is crisp and quite tart. For a 10-year-old red wine, it seems so young. It comes from one of the traditional red grapes in the Amarone blend and shows here what it can do as a soloist." James Suckling