Sierra Nevada Manuel Valenzuela began planting his first vines at his winery high up in the Sierra Nevada in 1979. Many more would follow. He planted both national and international varieties, eager to discover how they would perform under the extreme conditions at around 1,300 meters above sea level, and over the decades he repeatedly bottled spectacular wines.
Increasingly, he also made room in his vineyards for indigenous varieties — such as the red Blasca, the sole protagonist of the #autoctona. Once found throughout large parts of southern Spain, it gradually disappeared from vineyards after the phylloxera invasion. Blasca is the historical name of the variety (and the one used at Barranco Oscuro), though even many wine aficionados are probably more familiar with its more common names, Blasco or Tinto Velasco.
Blasca is fundamentally very well suited to Andalusia. It copes extremely well with the summer sun that seems to hang endlessly in the sky, without continuously accumulating sugar or desperately craving water. It is also harvested relatively late.
Fermented according to the classic principles of Barranco Oscuro — using wild yeasts, without temperature control, and with no additives — and aged for one year in wood, the #autoctona is juicy and compact, showing spicy-earthy notes alongside dark fruit aromas and plenty of substance on the palate.
Technical Sheet
Grape variety: Blasca
Plant protection: Only sulfur, copper, and preparations based on plant or animal origin, not certified
Vineyard: Slate, very stony and poor
Harvest: By hand
Fermentation: Spontaneous | wild yeasts in stainless steel tank
Aging: In used wooden barrels
Filtration: Yes, 15 micron filter
SO₂: No added sulfur
Alcohol: 14.5%
Closure: Natural cork
Serving temperature: 16–18°C
Optimal drinking window: From now – 2032
Volume and price per liter: 0.75 l / (€24.87/l)
