New Release: Ortega

I have the honour of introducing our final release for 2023; and, it will be none other than our Ortega 2022. This is our second year of producing Ortega as a single varietal wine. We originally planted this grape in 2013, as the main player in our ever-popular Culver Hill blend, the signature blend for the vineyard. With the 2021 harvest, however, the fruit proved extraordinary on its own and we decided to release some as a single varietal. Our Ortega 2021 sold out in record time and so, we decided to produce it again and release it to cap off a great summer here in England.

The Ortega grape originally hails from mainland Europe and was developed in Germany in the mid-20^th century. While it is a German grape, it was named in honour of the Spanish poet José Ortega y Gasset. This grape, however, is less susceptible to frost and is actually a cross of other German grapes, Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. Ortega is mostly grown across England, Germany, and Canada, all with similar cooler climates for wine production. As a result, the vines tend to bud later in the season and we usually harvest this in mid- to late October. We do two ‘picks’ of our Ortega vines – the grapes from the first pick are destined for our Culver Hill, and the grapes from the later pick go into our single varietal Ortega. As the grapes ripen on the vine, though, they develop rich stone fruit flavours, and are naturally very tempting to wasps. If you have taken a public or private tour of our vineyards, you have seen our beloved and sweet Ortega vines as they reside right behind our tasting room and gather the sun there each afternoon.

If we were to leave our Ortega grapes on the vine well after harvest, however, they might eventually develop botrytis, otherwise known as noble rot, from which some winemakers produce sweet, desert style wines. Once picked, it is 100% barrel fermented. If you have ever taken a tour of our vineyard towards the end of harvest, you may have seen some of the Ortega barrel tops popping as the Carbon dioxide escapes during the fermentation process. The wine will then spend around four months ageing after fermentation in 3-5 year old French oak barrels. This allows for a round texture to develop as well as a perfect mid-palate structure.

Now while our Ortega 2022 represents our final release for 2023, it is certainly not the least. The pale gold colour in the glass is warm and inviting. There are pronounced aromas on the nose of an intense and fragrant floral aroma. Beneath that rich bouquet of honeysuckle lies ripe apricots, a subtle minerality and a touch of creaminess to complement. On the palate, your tastebuds will be delighted with honey, fresh peaches, pomelo, spices, and further notes of sweet honeysuckle. While there is a touch of residual sugar (only a mere 2g/L), on the palate this rich wine is dry and medium bodied with a soft acidity and a medium to long finish of those fresh fruit and floral notes. Nothing would complement this end of summer release better than a creamy Tuscan chicken with fresh Italian herbs on a candlelit table during an evening thunderstorm. On a sunnier day, I would recommend a savoury parmesan-crusted white fish with wilted spinach. Or, if you have been on one of my tours and have heard my quirky food-wine pairings, then you would really enjoy a glass of Ortega 2022 with some buttery crackers topped with a mature white English cheddar and honey drizzled on top. To me, that would be the perfect end to my lovely British summer.

Ortega