Jaroslav Osička - 'Moravian Rhapsody' - Riesling, Pinot Gris, Müller Thurgau, Neuburger - Moravia, CZ - 2019

STYLE: Dry White Wine VINTAGE: 2021. REGION, SUB-REGION & VILLAGE: Morava, Velkopavlovická & Velké Bílovice. VINEYARD(S): Zadní hora, Přední hora. ALTITUDE: 200-250 meters above sea level. SOIL COMPOSITION: loess / clay & loam soil. PREVAILING CLIMATE & LOCAL CLIMACTIC: Continental climate, hot days, cool nights. FARMING OF VINEYARD: Organic. COMPOSITION: Rhine Riesling, Pinot Gris, Müller Thurgau and Neuburg HARVEST: September 2021. MACERATION: destemmed and fermented with 10% of the grapes FERMENTATION/AGING: aged in an combination of acacia and oak FINING & FILTRATION METHODS: none. DATE OF BOTTLING: April, 2022. BOTTLES PRODUCED: 2000.

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OWNER AND WINEMAKER: Jaroslav Osička, Lubos Osička REGION: South Moravia, villages Velkopavlovická & Velké Bílovice. TOTAL HECTARE: 3h. ALTITUDE OF VINEYARD(S): 200-250m. PREVAILING CLIMATE & LOCAL CLIMATIC: Continental. SOIL COMPOSITION: Loess, loam, clay. High calcite content CULTIVATED: Rhine Riesling, Müller Thurgau, Neuburg, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Tramín Červený (Gewurztraminer), Modrý Portugal (Blauer Portugieser), Pinot Noir, Andre. FARMING: Organic. WINE(S) PRODUCED: white wine, orange wine, red wine and Ryšák (Ginger, red white co-ferments). TOTAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION: 15,000

Jaroslav Osička, and his son Lubos make wine in Velké Bílovice near the borders of Austria and Slovakia. The land they farm is dominated by calcareous loess, clay and loam, however testing of their own has indicated that the soils are much more diverse. Jaroslav teaches organic viticulture at a local wine making school, they travel widely, taste a lot and organize a large local wine competition.

Jaroslav has always incorporated biodiversity in his farming philosophy firstly by avoiding synthetic and systemic treatments. Their vines were some of the first in their area to be farmed organically and have been since the late 80’s. The aspects of the vineyards are varied due the hilly terrain. The soils are mixed, calcareous rich, clay, loess and loam. Cover crops are encouraged, tilling is kept to a minimum, fertilizers are natural and mineral based, yields are low.

The wines are fermented spontaneously without temperature control. All wines undergo some amount of skin contact. Even the white wines will be fermented with a small amount of grape skins, Elevage ranges from 12 to 36 months. Sulfur is only added before bottling (5-20 ppm).