La Castellada
| Region | Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italia) |
|---|---|
| Foundation Year | 1985 |
| Vineyard hectares | 10 |
| Annual production | 25.000 bt |
| Address | Località Oslavia, 1 - Gorizia |
Along the road that runs through the hills of Oslavia, a small hamlet of Gorizia close to the Slovenian border, lie the vineyards of the Bensa family, cultivated by brothers Giorgio and Nicolò and the younger Matteo and Stefano. It was 1985 when the two brothers began bottling the wine that the family business produced, creating the La Castellada brand, named after a hill in Oslavia.
The winery consists of 10 hectares of vineyards, 5 of which are populated by very old plants (45-55 years old) and the other half by younger plants with a lower yield, in order to achieve greater maturity and sugar concentration. The microclimate is characterised by temperature fluctuations and fresh, breezy air from the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea, while the soil has stratified submarine sediments of marl and sandstone of Eocene origin. The cultivation technique allows for the exclusive use of copper sulphate and sulphur, while the grass along the rows acts as a water regulator, making irrigation unnecessary.
The focus on natural techniques is also evident in the cellar, where traditional winemaking techniques are strictly followed. All the grapes ferment on the skins in truncated cone vats for varying lengths of time, using only indigenous yeasts. The wines are then aged in barriques or large casks for one or two years and then in steel for another year before being bottled without filtration. In the bottle, the wine rests for at least one year before being released on the market.
Ideal climatic conditions, rigorous cultivation and work in the cellar that is limited to minimal and non-invasive interventions, and investing in the time of maturation, are the basis of an elegant and refined production that has earned the attention of passionate admirers all over the world. The distinctive magic of the Oslavia grapes, patiently preserved in the cellar with absolute respect for tradition over several years, reaches its fullest expression in the bottles of La Castellada and releases unique and unmistakable emotions in the glass.
"Negli anni Novanta i fratelli Nicolò e Giorgio Bensa cambiarono il loro modo di lavorare: avevano realizzato che con la vinificazione in bianco si era perso tutto quel bagaglio di sostanze contenute nelle bucce, così importante per il profilo organolettico del vino che volevano: ritornarono così alle lunghe macerazioni, segnando la strada per tanti altri"