Sierra de Toloño 2023 Rioja La Dula Garnacha de Altura

A Grenache from RIOJA???  Read this now and believe it later, this is an impressive expression of Grenache from the land best known for its Tempranillo-based reds. Grown at high altitude, this is a wine that feels like it was grown on a mountaintop with a view and a secret location. 

The nose brings both lift and intrigue: crushed raspberry, wild thyme, and a flick of white pepper that dances with blood orange zest. There’s a floral edge too — violets and Mediterranean herbs — like a hillside garden.

On the palate, the wine is taut and chalky, with silky tannins. The fruit is bright and precise, layered with savory notes and a mineral core that hums with energy. It’s aged in clay amphorae, which adds a softness and a texture that is pure and alive.

This is Garnacha that whispers of a winemaker who knows how to let the vineyard do the talking. Pair it with grilled vegetables, lamb skewers, or the kind of dinner conversation that starts philosophical and ends with someone quoting Neruda.

The Winery

Sierra de Toloño is a high-altitude, biodynamic winery nestled in Rioja Alavesa, where the vines cling to the slopes at more than 2,000 feet above sea level. The project is the vision of Sandra Bravo, a winemaker whose approach is as elevated as her vineyards — both literally and philosophically.

Sandra grew up in Rioja and studied enology in both Spain and France. Her winemaking journey took her through Bordeaux, Tuscany, Marlborough, California, and seven formative years in Priorat. That experience shaped her minimalist, vineyard-first philosophy: she believes the soul of the wine comes from the land, not the cellar.

At Sierra de Toloño, Sandra works with micro-plots of old bush vines — Garnacha, Tempranillo, Viura, and Graciano — planted on calcareous soils and surrounded by wild Mediterranean herbs. She harvests by hand, ferments in neutral vessels like amphorae and old oak, and avoids heavy extraction or oak influence.

The result? Wines that are pure, fresh, and expressive, with a mineral backbone that we love.