The Art of Making Wine at Altitude: La Ballestera, between Cazorla and Andújar
The sky closer, the earth more present
On the slopes where the sierras of Cazorla and Andújar meet, La Ballestera breathes at 850 meters above sea level. This is no minor detail: altitude changes the way the vine lives, and with it, the way wine stirs emotions.
When the sun beats down during the day, the grape accelerates its ripening. But as night falls, altitude cools the air and slows the process. This natural contrast prolongs the life cycle of each cluster, allowing skin, pulp, and seed to mature in harmony. The result is a wine more balanced, complex, and with a character impossible to reproduce in lower lands.
What makes a high-altitude wine different?
Slow and precise ripening → The grape gains time to concentrate aromas and rounder tannins.
Greater aromatic intensity → Thermal contrasts enhance black fruit, spicy notes, and mineral nuances.
Structure and freshness → The wine maintains a livelier natural acidity, ensuring balance and longevity in the bottle.
Unique complexity → Each harvest reflects the patience of a land that forces the vine to strive and give its best.
Altitude as invisible art
At La Ballestera, this phenomenon becomes a silent ally. The vineyard, barely four hectares, is cultivated with artisanal care, treating each detail like a work of goldsmithing. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Viognier find here a distinct home, a landscape that shapes them with delicacy and character.
The wine born at these heights is not only drunk: it is contemplated, smelled, and felt. It is the echo of a territory that speaks with its own voice.
Wines that tell the height
The Tinto de Guarda and the Barrel Club reveal the strength and depth of these extreme conditions. In Viognier, altitude brings freshness and white elegance, like a luminous canvas.
Each bottle is, ultimately, proof that when the earth rises toward the sky, wine becomes a more intense, deeper, and more memorable art.
