Viñedos Verticales Sierras de Màlaga La Raspa
Pairs with: Seared Presa Ibérica (Iberian pork shoulder) cooked over open flame, rosemary-rubbed grilled lamb chops, slow-roasted duck leg with wild berry reduction, Moroccan spiced lamb tagine, or a rustic platter of cured meats and semi-cured goat cheese.
Good for: Proving that Southern Spain can produce a red wine with jaw-dropping freshness and zero jammy, heavy weight; introducing wine enthusiasts to one of Europe's rarest indigenous red grapes; or elevating a backyard barbecue with a savory, high-altitude red that captures both mountain-cool air and Mediterranean sunshine.
Grape: 70% Syrah and 30% Romé.
I am from: Sierras de Málaga DO, Andalusia, Spain (Sourced from dizzyingly steep, north-facing vineyard plots in Colmenar and Santo Pitar, perched at extreme altitudes between 800 and 1,000 meters above sea level).
The Story: Viñedos Verticales—the boundary-pushing collaboration between viticulturist Juan Muñoz and enologist Vicente Inat—is deeply revered for saving the forgotten, near-vertical slate slopes of Málaga’s Axarquía region. While their white wines have shaken up the region, "La Raspa" Tinto is their magnificent love letter to the area's ancient red wine heritage. The absolute soul of this blend is Romé, the only red variety native exclusively to Málaga. It is a famously chameleonic and fickle grape; on a single vine, bunches can range from completely uncolored to partially or fully ripe. Because it is so rare, there are only a handful of hectares left in existence.
Juan and Vicente partner this wild native grape with Syrah, which thrives in the intense Mediterranean sun. To guarantee the wine retains a vibrant, thirst-quenching crackle, the vineyards are chosen specifically for their cool, north-facing exposures at nearly 1,000 meters high, rooted in ancient schist and black phyllite slate. The harvest is done entirely by hand into small boxes, relying on local mules to navigate the steep, dizzying terrain. In the cellar, the grapes are fermented separately using wild, native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. Crucially, the Romé is picked early in the season to capture pure, vertical acidity, while the Syrah is left to fully mature to provide flesh and structure. After blending, the wine steps away from heavy oak intervention, aging for just 6 months in large, neutral 600-liter French oak barrels to let the raw, rocky mountain fruit take center stage.
Why You'll Love Me: It is an incredibly lively, juicy, and expressive Mediterranean red that completely defies its hot Southern Spanish origin by showing off an athletic, mountain-born lightness on its feet. In the glass, it displays a beautiful, moderately deep cherry-red color with bright violet glints. The nose is instantly evocative, exploding with a fragrant bouquet of fresh bramble fruits, wild blackberries, and dark currants, seamlessly layered with complex top notes of fresh violets, cracked black pepper, and a rustic whisper of wild scrub oak and crushed slate stones. On the palate, it hits with a beautifully controlled, savory crunch; a rush of tart dark berries and plums is immediately supported by fine, tightly interwoven tannins and a driving beam of fresh acidity. It glides effortlessly across the tongue, finishing bone-dry and clean with a trailing note of baking spice and a persistent, rocky mineral snap.
