Along the road that runs along the ridge of the hills of Oslavia, a small hamlet of Gorizia close to the Slovenian border, the vineyards of the Bensa family, cultivated by Giorgio and Nicolò brothers and younger Matteo and Stefano, extend. It was 1985 when the two brothers began to bottle the wine that the family business produced, creating the brand of La Castellada, named after a hill of Oslavia.
The farm consists of 10 hectares of vineyards, 5 of which are populated by very old plants (45-55 years of age) and the other half by younger plants but with a lower yield to reach more maturations and concentrations of sugars. The microclimate is determined by thermal excursions and a fresh and ventilated air that comes from the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea while the ground floor has sandy sediments of rocks and sandstones of Eocene origin. The cultivation technique admits the exclusive use of sulfur and sulfur sulphate and roping along the rows, playing the role of water regulator, does not require irrigation.
The preference for natural techniques is evident also in the cellar, where traditional oenological techniques are followed with great rigor. All grapes ferment in contact with skins in truncated tin for longer or lesser periods and under the action of indigenous yeasts only. The wines then affinate in barriques or large barrels for one or two years and then in steel for another year to come, finally bottled without filtration. In bottle, the wine ripens at least a year before the market is released.
Ideal pedoclimatic conditions, strict cultivation, and a cellar work that is limited to minimal and non-invasive interventions, investing in ripening time, are the basis of an elegant and refined production that has been able to attract the attention of enthusiastic enthusiasts all over the world. world. The unmistakable magic of the grapes of Oslavia, preserved in the cellar with patience and absolute respect for tradition for several years, reaches the maximum expression in the bottles of La Castellada and emits into the glass unique and unmistakable emotions.