A bright white with incredible depth and texture, Quintaluna shows just how serious Verdejo can be when grown in old, high-altitude vineyards. It’s fresh, creamy, mineral and quietly complex, the kind of wine that feels like sunlight cutting through a cold day.
Producer – Alma Carraovejas & the Ossian Project
Alma Carraovejas is one of Spain’s most respected winemaking groups, known for its meticulous viticulture and precision-driven approach in Ribera del Duero, Rueda and beyond. Quintaluna belongs to Ossian, their Rueda-based project dedicated to preserving some of Spain’s oldest Verdejo vines, including rare, pre-phylloxera plots over 150 years old.
The team’s ethos centres on biodiversity, organic certification, careful parcel selection and low-intervention winemaking, all designed to express Verdejo in its purest and most textural form. Ossian wines have become benchmarks for the region, showing that Verdejo is capable of nuance, longevity and Burgundian-like elegance when treated with care.
Quintaluna is their “gateway wine,” though nothing about it feels entry level. It’s crafted with the same attention as the top Ossian bottlings, a celebration of old vines, limestone soils and slow, patient winemaking.
Alma Carraovejas Quintaluna Verdejo, Ossian Project, Terroir & Winemaking
The fruit for Quintaluna comes from high-altitude vineyards (750–900m) scattered around Nieva, the coolest and most elevated zone of Rueda. The soils are largely sand and limestone, some containing ancient river pebbles; these soils helped protect Verdejo from phylloxera, allowing many vines to survive ungrafted.
The vineyards are organically farmed, with a focus on minimal irrigation, low yields and preserving microbial life in the soil.
Winemaking is gentle and precise:
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Hand-harvested grapes from multiple old-vine parcels
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Slow, cool fermentation using a mix of stainless steel, fudres and neutral barrels
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Extended ageing on fine lees to build texture and salinity
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No excessive oak, just a subtle whisper of roundness
This combination of altitude, old vines and thoughtful élevage gives Quintaluna a distinctive mineral backbone and remarkable complexity for its price point.
Alma Carraovejas Quintaluna Verdejo, Ossian Project, Tasting Notes
Pale straw with green flashes. The nose opens with white peach, fennel, chamomile, citrus zest and chalky minerality, followed by hints of almond skin and wild herbs. On the palate, it’s simultaneously fresh and creamy, offering flavours of pear, lemon curd, quince, green apple and subtle pastry notes from lees contact. Crisp acidity and a long, saline finish keep everything beautifully focused. Elegant, vibrant and quietly luxurious.
Food pairing suggestion: Creamy Lemon & Herb Chicken Thighs. The wine’s bright acidity and subtle creaminess pair perfectly with rich chicken and fresh herbs, while its herbal notes echo the dish beautifully.
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