The Garnacha renaissance in the Sierra de Gredos has produced some of the most thrilling wines in Spain, but no single bottling captures the region’s magic quite like Bernabeleva’s 2023 Viña Bonita. A decade ago, almost no one outside Madrid had heard of San Martín de Valdeiglesias; today, it’s one of Europe’s most dynamic terroirs, thanks in large part to Bernabeleva’s trailblazing work.
Their flagship vineyard—planted in 1925 on paper‑thin granitic sand over bedrock—has become a reference point for what old‑vine Garnacha can achieve when transparency, altitude, and ancient soils converge. The global allocation is microscopic—just 125 cases for the 2023 vintage—and the press has responded accordingly, with Luis Gutiérrez delivering a gob‑smacking 97 points and calling it the estate’s most elegant, complete wine. With only a few cases now in stock, this is the kind of allocation that disappears instantly.
What makes Viña Bonita so special is its ability to channel Garnacha with the radiance and finesse normally reserved for the greatest Pinot Noir or the most Grenache‑dominant, high‑toned Châteauneuf‑du‑Papes. Think Rayas‑like lift, Barossa and McLaren Vale old‑vine gravitas, and a Burgundian sense of inner light—all filtered through the cool, forest‑ringed slopes of Gredos. Whole‑cluster fermentation (up to 80%), foot‑treading, and aging in neutral 600L barrels preserve every ounce of aromatic purity. The result is a wine that feels carved from the vineyard itself: perfumed red cherry, wild strawberry, crushed rose petal, white pepper, and that unmistakable granite‑driven salinity that only these sandy, high‑altitude soils can produce.
On the palate, the 2023 Viña Bonita is a study in tension and grace. SommSelect tasters have long noted how Bernabeleva achieves a “Pinot‑Noir‑ish” delicacy without sacrificing Garnacha’s natural generosity, and this vintage may be the most seamless yet. The tannins are silky but persistent, the acidity is laser‑bright, and the finish fans out with the kind of aromatic persistence that only century‑old vines can deliver. It’s the opposite of the heavy, syrupy Grenache that plagues so many warm‑climate regions—this is weightless power, a wine that floats rather than pushes, and one that Burgundy collectors routinely fall for once they taste it.
For our most devoted Spanish and Rhône buyers, this is a no‑brainer. For Burgundy collectors, it’s a revelation. Viña Bonita is one of the world’s most transparent expressions of place—an unfiltered transmission of a singular site, a century of vine age, and a producer who helped ignite the entire Gredos movement. If you want the pinnacle of modern Spanish Garnacha—radiant, elegant, and utterly unique—this is it.
¡Viva España!
Critical Acclaim:
97 points, Wine Advocate (Luis Gutierrez):
The most elegant of the reds is the 2023 Garnacha de Viña Bonita, from a plot planted in 1925, 2.5 hectares of old north-facing vines on sandy white granite soils surrounded by Mediterranean forest and centenary olive trees. It fermented with around 80% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in three used 600-liter barrels. This is always the more complete wine, with nuance, complexity and depth, with energy and subtleness, in a kind of Chambollic way. It's perfumed and elegant, with a very balanced palate and refined tannins, with penetrating flavors and great length. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.44 and 5.59 grams of acidity. 1,500 bottles produced.
