Virna is the village red of La Bastida, drawn from the more fruit-forward, alluvial parts of the Angelita vineyard. It is the most approachable wine in the Dominio del Challao range, juicier and more immediate, yet still produced within that classic Riojan frame: mid-weight, high natural acidity, pale in colour and softly fruited, closer in spirit to a young Tondonia than to the extracted, oak-driven style that modern Rioja is often associated with.

Dominio del Challao was founded in 2019 by Manu Michelini, a prodigious young winemaker who became obsessed with the beautiful old bottles so often found in Rioja and set out to make something that felt genuinely connected to them. The project is laser-focused on the northern sector of the village of La Bastida, working old vineyards farmed organically and biodynamically, with natural variations in soil and aspect defining each cuvee in the range.

The 2022 Virna is an honest, terroir-driven Tempranillo that bridges the best of traditional Rioja style with the grower philosophy of the modern era.