Sierra de Tolono Rioja Tempranillo Rose 2025
Sierra de TolonoGrape: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2025
Type: Rose
Grown on the extreme, high-altitude limestone terraces of the Sierra de Toloño mountains in Rioja Alavesa, this altitude-driven rosado breaks completely away from heavy, over-extracted regional styles. Winemaker Sandra Bravo harvests her high-density, old Tempranillo vines early in the morning to lock in the intense, cool-climate mountain freshness of the site. The fruit is immediately subjected to a gentle, direct whole-bunch press with zero skin maceration, ensuring only the most delicate, free-run juice is captured. Fermented at cool temperatures in small concrete vats, this cuvée skips wood aging entirely to offer a pristine, high-elevation snapshot of Tempranillo stripped of makeup.
In the glass, it pours a pale, brilliant salmon-pink with shimmering silver rims. The nose is highly focused and precise, immediately opening with notes of wild strawberry, pomegranate, white peach, and a fragrant undercurrent of alpine wildflowers. On the palate, a "crystalline" core of razor-sharp, limestone acidity cuts directly through the delicate red fruit profile, creating an exceptionally athletic and fluid mouthfeel. The concrete fermentation imparts a subtle, chalky texture that perfectly coats the mid-palate without adding any physical weight. It finishes bone-dry and remarkably persistent, leaving behind a mouthwatering trace of citrus oil, sea salt, and wet stone.