Sierra de Toloño - Rioja Villabuena 'Raposo' (2020)

About the wine

High up in the foothills of the Sierra de Toloño, in Rioja Alavesa, Sandra Bravo works in some of the oldest, and highest altitude vineyards in Rioja, growing Garnacha, Tempranillo, Viura and some Graciano. In her small winery in Villabuena de Álava, where she works with steel, anforas, and old wood, this young winemaker translates the mountainous landscape into pure and expressive wines. She harvests multiple varieties from micro-terroirs over many small plots that together form a fresh, beautiful image of the area.

The Raposo is sourced from two vineyards, one of them planted in 1920. The wine is aged in large oak barrels and is aromatically leaner and less fruit-forward, with spice, stone, and leather all making their mark. It is medium-bodied, with pronounced acidity and tannins.

"'A wild horse' says Sandra Bravo of this field blend of Tempranillo and Graciano , which hails from two vineyards in Villabuena de Aiava, planted in 1920 and 1978 respectively. Riper than her high altitude reds, but not by much, this is spicy and meaty, with a hint of carbon dioxide, savoury tannins and an animal note." - 93 points, Tim Atkin, 2023 Rioja Report

"Sandra Bravo’s Raposo bottling is made almost entirely from Tempranillo, with a small amount of Graciano included in the blend. The wine is fermented and aged in old foudres and the 2020 version comes in at 13.5 percent alcohol in this vintage. The lovely young bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of black raspberries, a touch of spiced meats, orange peel, cigar wrapper, stony minerality, celery seed, cloves and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, young and structured, with a fine core of fruit, excellent mineral undertow, firm, chewy tannins and a long, balanced and nascently complex finish." - 92 points, John Gilman, View from the Cellar

"The straightforward red 2020 Raposo was produced with Tempranillo from Villabuena de Álava and reveals a fruit-driven nose with some earthiness and a bit of ripeness despite the contained 13.5% alcohol. It's medium-bodied, with fine tannins and balance. It fermented with indigenous yeasts at low temperature and matured in 3,000-liter oak foudres for one year." - 90 points, Robert Parker

Pairs well with Lamb (think Gyros or Lamb Kabobs), Barbecue, Pizza, Chili, and Charcuterie & Cheese.

The Sierra de Toloño - Rioja Villabuena 'Raposo' (2020) wine is currently part of the Unfussy Feast | Mixed-Hue Wine Collection offered exclusively by WyneTyme.