Description
Veronica Ortega’s V.O. (Versión Original) comes from a particularly sandy plot of her emblematic ROC vineyard. She farms her own vineyards organically, and is in the process of conversion to biodynamics. Natural yeasts are used for the whole bunch fermentation, followed by aging in large format oak vats. The gentle approach in the winery is designed to express the nuances of the deep sandy soils of this parcel.
Veronica Ortega was brought up in Cadiz with five elder brothers and a famous bullfighting father, but caught the wine bug in the 2000s and moved to Priorat where she worked with the legendary Alvaro Palacios and Daphné Glorian (Clos Erasmus), before gaining experience in New Zealand, Burgundy (including a vintage at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) and Rhône Valley before returning to Spain. She then worked with Raúl Perez in Bierzo from whose cellar she experimented at, before setting out definitively with her project in 2012.
Her love for Bierzo stems from its history, authenticity of its wines, a strong Atlantic influence and a variety of Mencía that is very sensitive to its soil types and altitude. Veronica says that it reminds her a lot of the Syrah she worked with in the northern Rhône for its wild nature and savoury character, and comments that in blind tastings the two grapes are often confused.
