2019 LALAMA, Dominio do Bibei. Ribeira Sacra, Spain

Ribeira Sacra is a key region for quality red wines in the far north west of Spain (an area most famous for many of Spain’s best white wines, including Albarino). Although the general area is cool (being northerly and coastal), this is actually from the sub-region of Quiroga-Bibei, which is drier and hotter and produces wines with more intensity.

90% Mencia, 10% ‘other’ (Brancellao, Mouratón, Sousón, and Garnacha); matured for over a year in big, old oak barrels.

Owner Javier Domínguez follows a fairly ‘natural’ approach to winemaking. The vineyard is managed organically, using some biodynamic principles, although not certified as such. Juice and wine is moved by gravity, everything is stored and matured in older wood or cement – no shiny new wood (which is still so dominant in Spain).

Quite serious and intense but this does also have beautiful, fresh fruitiness allied to that structure. Mencia is a really exciting grape variety, only recently discovered internationally.