Ostatu Rioja Rosado

Ostatu Rosado is an incredible value and introduction to their range of wines. It says something about a winery when they pursue excellence from the beginning of their range to the top. For this reason, Ostatu Rosado is one of the most beloved pink Rioja Alavesa wines, offering a very different experience than many other rosado wines from Rioja that are often made as an afterthought.

The secret lies in the high-altitude, bush-trained vineyards of indigenous tempranillo, garnacha, and viura vines in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria mountains. Theirs is a singular mountain rosé produced from some of Ostatu’s oldest and highest-elevation vineyards in the village of Samaniego: La Paul, Valdepedro, and Carrera at 600m to 650m. Samaniego is located directly at the convergence of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean climatic influences, which mold the character of the vintages. This unique soil and climate also lend a certain austerity and structure to Ostatu wines, which differentiates them from the Rioja wines of other subzones. Ostatu is pure Alavesa mountain wine, born of the tension and energy of an extreme climate.

Grapes are farmed organically, and only native yeasts are utilized to ferment in stainless steel tanks, yielding a light, refreshing rosé from Rioja with substance, as well as charm.

Vintage – In 2020, rainfall and early budding resulted in a relatively early, somewhat uneven harvest. Some vineyards were damaged by hail, reducing yields, but surviving bunches were of outstanding quality. 2020 at Ostatu produced balanced wines with moderate alcohol, good acidity, and well-developed fruit. The vintage is of very high quality and has the potential to age well.

Vinification – After a manual harvest, the grapes are destemmed and gently pressed before undergoing a short maceration. The wine then ferments with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks at low temperatures (15°C to 16°C) on the lees for 37 days. Afterward, the wine is cold stabilized and gently filtered through diatomaceous earth before bottling.