Use my current location
Region: Oregon
Grapes: Riesling
Alcohol: 13.2%
Notes on the Wine
After a soak on skins, the fruit is pressed into tank where native fermentation begins. Then half of the juice in tank is racked into: amphora, Austrian cask, cement egg and acacia barrel. Then we wait a lunar cycle… After 28 days or so, the wine in the vessels is added back to the wine in stainless steel. Once it is fully blended, we place 35% of the wine BACK into amphora, cask, egg and barrel. This process is repeated three times.
It’s golden hue is the first thing you’ll notice (thanks amphora), and aromats of sea spray coated limes, roasted apricot pit, petrichor and flint pop out of the glass. One of the goals of this unusual elevage is to cultivate defined layers within the wine. – lemon verbena, straw, Spring meadow. The palate shows the sensual texture of cask fighting with the rawness of amphora, and yet it finishes with bright minerality. Agave and lime linger on the finish, echoing the initial top notes of wine,
Notes on the Producer
Established in 2011 by Ksenija and John House, Ovum was founded in hopes of producing Oregon white wines that are honest reflections of time and place. Our low intervention production method is a commitment to letting the vintage and vineyard shine, not the vintner. Fruit comes first - our top priority is finding farmers that share our beliefs, and then getting out of the way so their hard work can be tasted.
Native ferments, no subtractions or additions, except for SO2 - extended lees contact 8-9 months, for textural complexity. All of this is done in neutral barrels of acacia and oak, as well as cement egg and Austrian cask. Ovum is solely committed to the production of white wines, mainly Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat.
At Ovum, each wine is produced the same way - if the wine smells and tastes different, it has everything to do with terroir, and little to do with the winemaker. Our hope is that through our attention to detail and honest technique, we can produce old fashioned wines in the modern world.
