2019 Dominio Do Bibei Lalama

The Lalama is a very elegant fresh wine with perfect acidity. It is a glass full of black fruit and spices with a nice, long finish. Has clear elements of a very nice burgundy but for a fraction of the price.

Dominio do Bibei is a recent project of the local Dominguez family with the 'Priorat' couple Sara Perez (Mas Martinet) and René Barbier Jr (Clos Mogador) as consultants. They bought old vineyards and also planted new ones. They make four wines in total: the limited top cuvées Lacima (Mencia) and Lapena (Godello) and then the white Lapola (60% Godello with Treixadura, Dona Blanca and Torrontes) and the red Lalama (85% Mencia with Garnacha Tintoreira, Brancellao and Mauraton). All grapes are picked by hand (not a merit but simply a necessity on these terroirs!), treated as gently as possible and selected grape by grape. The grapes then go into upright 500 liter barrels for the 'macération' with the occasional gentle manual 'pigeage'. The extraction is done as gently as possible to obtain extremely refined tannins. The Lalama then goes on 'foudres' and used French oak barrels of 300 liters for 21 months. At Domino do Bibei they still take the time to let the wine develop and it is only after 18 months in the bottle that the wine is put on the market.

All that information can hardly prepare us for the eventual shock of tasting the wine. Is this Spanish ? Definitely forget about Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Priorat. Definitely think of Burgundy. Perhaps the best kind of Chinon, however, nothing can quite approach that special mix of crunchy fruit, sizzling minerality, invigorating acidity and playful lightness (12.5% alcohol). This is unique, simply incomparable, highly original : this is Ribeira Sacra !