Dominio do Bibei's Lalume Blanco is Spain's answer to high-quality White Burgundy. Incredibly expressive, layered, and captivating, we just received our annual allocation of the new vintage, and I can confirm it is drinking beautifully.
We never get enough of this exotically delicious white wine, and that's because very little is made, and most of it stays in Spain to be enjoyed with Galician seafood. I'm glad I was an early fan, and we always get the lion's share that comes into the state each year.
Dominio do Bibei was founded 20 years ago by Javier Dominguez, a passionate and meticulous vigneron. The winery is one of silence, beauty, and an intentional lack of technology. Dominguez had his fermentation facility built into a hillside, and this allows him to move his wines gently, with gravity. In addition, all of Bibei's vineyards are farmed organically, fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts, and aging occurs in a variety of vessels (foudre, barrique, and concrete).
The estate's 2023 Lalume is a revelatory white wine from Spain's Ribeiro region, one of the country's most isolated and ruggedly beautiful growing zones. A traditional blend of Treixadura, Albarino, and Godello, this explodes out of the glass with glorious notes of grilled pineapple, golden apple, citrus blossom, fennel, leesy spice, and mineral.
Spain's Ribeiro region is a special one. Not to be confused with Ribera del Duero, it is situated between the famed Rias Baixas zone to the west and Ribeira Sacra to the east. The vine was first brought to the region by Romans in ancient times, and the region was one of the first to gain DO status in 1957.
Outside of Spain, the wines are relatively unknown, but I love turning you all onto wines like this, ones that have so much to give at such fair prices. Don't get lost if you're not familiar with the grapes, trust your wine guy when he tells you this drinks like a $50+ bottle of White Burgundy : )
Just in case you need another opinion, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate loved it too. They have rated every vintage of this back to 2015, but the current release was their highest-rated of all time at 94 points:
"I was quite impressed when I put my nose in the glass of the 2023 Lalume, their white from Ribeiro. 2023 was far from easy there, and they had to do a lot of selection, sorting and discarding. But the hard work seems to have paid off, and the wine is delicate, expressive, intense and clean, with complexity, mixing notes of white and yellow fruit, herbs and flowers."
The last thing I'll say is that while this provides for a cerebral and stimulating experience without food, it really shines at the table with classic Galician fare. I'm thinking clams in a paprika-spiced tomato sauce or red peppers stuffed with cheese.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
