Ribeira Sacra wine region

Ribeira Sacra, meaning “Sacred Riverbank”, is one of Spain’s most spectacular wine regions. Steep terraced vineyards plunge dramatically toward the Sil and Miño rivers in Galicia, creating a breathtaking landscape where viticulture requires heroic labor. The region’s cool Atlantic influence, granite and slate soils, and ancient indigenous varieties create wines of remarkable minerality and freshness. Ribera Sacra has experienced a renaissance in recent decades, with innovative winemakers rediscovering the potential of this very challenging terroir where Romans first planted vines almost 2,000 years ago.

Tasted – Lacima 2013 – Dominio do Bibei

The Lacima is in the top range of Dominio do Bibei’s production, crafted primarily from the indigenous Mencía grape alongside small portions of other grapes such as Brancellao and Mouratón. The wine shows a nice complexity after a decade of bottle age. It presents a medium intense color still with a mostly ruby color. On the nose, there’s an interplay between soft red cherry and blackberry fruit, cedar notes and forest leaves. The wine is medium bodied, has medium alchohol and is pleasantly fresh with mineral tones in the aftertaste.

My wine experience

This is a wine with a captivating character – I like the vibrant acidity with the cherry fruit combined with the developed character and soft tannines. The wine shows restraint and balance, with the fruit gradually giving way to more complex, earthy notes with forest floor. The tannins have softened with age but maintain enough presence to suggest some further evolution is still possible. The finish is long with a nice mineral character.

Conclusion

Very good wine in the higher price range.

Wine info

Year 2013 | Alcohol 13% | DO Ribeira Sacra | Dominio do Bibei | Price range EUR 40-45

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