Bibei's Lalume is one of the most singularly delicious white wines I've had this year. A wine for lovers of high quality White Burgundy, this is so expressive, harmonious, and captivating.
Composed primarily of Treixadura, with smaller amounts of Albarino and Godello, this fuller-styled, textured, and luscious white wine takes a bit of time to "wake up." With a few minutes in glass, a good deal of swirling, and a slight rise in temperature, it explodes out of the glass with glorious notes of grilled pineapple, golden apple, honeysuckle, fennel, spice, and mineral.
2022 Dominio do Bibei Ribeiro Blanco 'Lalume'
Revelatory white wine from one of Spain's most unique regions. Really, really good stuff!
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).
Spain's Ribeiro DO is a special one. Located 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 Cistercian monks acted as custodians throughout the Middle Ages. The region gained DO status in 1957, and since early times, wine has been the region's main source of income and employment.
This remote region is one of the most dramatically beautiful in Spain. Four rivers meet here, and vineyards literally cling to the steep, terraced hillsides that flank these bodies of water. If you want to take a look, click here to view some of these immaculate sites. Ribeiro's inland location shields it from most Atlantic storms, and the region tends to be quite warm and sunny, yielding white wines with good weight and body. Despite the ripeness of the wines, the acidity levels are quite high, so there's wonderful freshness to the wines as well.
The Lalume Blanco relies mainly on Treixadura, the region's most important white grape. Known locally as the "Queen of Ribeiro," the grape produces aromatically enticing and fine textured white wines. It is naturally somewhat low in acidity, and that's why it is often blended with higher acid grapes like Albarino and Godello.
It is obvious from the first sniff to the last sip that Javier Dominguez has mastered the intricacies of this lesser-known variety, and this Lalume is a testament to that. I could go on and on and on, but I know it's time to wrap it up.
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. I'm getting hungry and thirsty just thinking about it!
