Dominio do Bibei, `Lapola` White Ribeira Sacra

Dominio do Bibei, `Lapola` White Ribeira Sacra

Vintage: 2021

VintageProduct CodeFormatClosureAvailability
2021DB302B216 x 75Natural CorkAvailable
Producer

Founded in 2001 by Javier Dominguez, Dominio do Bibei are “pioneers of Ribeira Sacra” (Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate), credited with driving the modern, quality revolution in this historic, Spanish region. Dominio do Bibei firmly believe that this spectacular landscape can produce some of Spain’s most distinctive wines.

Dominio do Bibei’s vines are grown at varying elevations from 200-700 metres, scattered across a large, north-facing hillside with schist and granite soils, flecked with slate, quartz, and iron. Vines have been cultivated in Ribeira Sacra for centuries, having first been planted by the Romans, before the devastation of phylloxera and civil war drove local families to leave the region and begin new, easier, lives elsewhere.

In the late 1990s, Javier came to the region attracted by its old vines and untouched, Jurassic landscape. His family bought land in the Bibei valley, Ribeira’s most easterly sub-region, and today owns a 140-hectare estate, of which 45 are planted with vines. Javier has since worked tirelessly to revive the region and its indigenous vines, undertaking what is known locally as ‘heroic viticulture’.

Today he is joined by a team of talented winemakers, Paula, Xoán, Emilio, Alin, Carlos, who continue his legacy, producing some of Ribeira Sacra’s most esteemed wines. Aside from working with their estate vineyards, Dominio do Bibei also source grapes from neighbouring vines, provided they do not face south; freshness and good acidity levels, balanced with pure, vibrant fruit, being at the core of the estate’s celebrated style. It is these characteristics that make their wines so suited to a range of food-pairings, ensuring their popularity with sommeliers across the world.

Mencía is Dominio do Bibei’s most widely grown black grape. However, they also use the local Brancellao, Sousón, Mouratón, Alicante Bouschet and Caíño, reflecting the seemingly chaotic vineyards of their predecessors. For whites, Godello and Albariño dominate, with small amounts of Doña Blanca, Treixadura and Torrontés sometimes included. Their grapes are destemmed and aged in various vessels, including modern cement eggs, foudres and old 600-litre barrels.

Dominio do Bibei make four cuvées whose names begin with the letter ‘L’. ‘Lalama’ is a light and fragrant red (90% Mencía) with sappy, redcurrant freshness from grapes grown on the warmest, lower part of the valley. ‘Lacima’ is a blend of Mencía, Brancellao, Mouratón and Sousón from the peak of the hillside. It displays a vivid, black cherry character with a fine, filigree texture. Two white wines are also produced. ‘Lalume’ is a precise, barrel-fermented Treixadura, while the limited ‘Lapola’ is a blend of Godello with Albariño and Doña Blanca.

Vineyards

Vines are grown at varying altitudes from 400 - 750 metres on sandy granite soils with fine grit and quartz schist. The vines are aged between 14 and 100 years old. The region’s Atlantic climate, with an average annual rainfall of 700mm, mostly concentrated in the winter and spring months, helps retain freshness and acidity in the fruit. The summer and autumn are drier, with a large diurnal range.

Vintage

The 2021 vintage was a challenging year, beginning with an unusual major snowstorm called Filomena sweeping the region. While the vineyards were not covered in snow, the soil was frozen like never before. Growth was slowed due to unstable temperatures and precipitation which caused some concern around potential mildew development. Significant work was required in the vineyard to maintain vine health, and leaves were stripped to allow for ventilation and light. Meticulous work was carried out to ensure the fruit was picked at optimal ripeness. The result of this cold vintage is a wine that radiates juicinesss with great tension and a savoury finish.

Vinification

The grapes were hand picked into 10kg boxes and sorted in the vineyard, with each vineyard parcel vinified separately. The fruit was cold settled for 24 hours prior to being pressed and racked. Fermentation using indigenous yeasts took place in a mix of six-hectolitre barrels, 12 and 24 hectolitre casks and seven hectolitre ovoid concrete tanks. The wine was then racked into a mixture of 600-litre French oak barrels and 1,200 and 2,400-litre Austrian oak foudres of various uses on fine lees for seven months. The second part of the ageing process was performed in ovoid concrete tanks for natural stabilisation. The wine was aged for a total of 12 months before bottling.

Tasting Notes & Technical Details

The nose is complex with vibrant aromas of citrus, wild herbs and a distinct minerality. The palate is deep and precise, with excellent acidity and creaminess from the lees contact. It will continue to develop over the next three years.

Alcohol (ABV)

13.5%

Acidity

5.79 g/l

Residual Sugar

1.88 g/l

pH

3.22

Other wines from this producer

Producer
Wine
Product Code
Features
Style
Dominio do Bibei`Lalama` Red Ribeira SacraDB301
R
Factsheet
`Lacima` Red Ribeira SacraDB303
R
Factsheet
`Lalume` White RibeiroDB304
W
Factsheet