MWG April 18th tasting (6/9): Dínamo gallega
Ribeira Sacra 2008, Lalama, Dominio do Bibei ($27.20, 11661390)
Mencia (90%), Garnacha (7%) and Mouratón (3%) from 15- to 100-year-old vines grown in slate, clay and granite soils. Manually harvested. Segregated by variety. The grapes are chilled, sorted and destemmed. Fermented in foudres except for 15%, which is fermented in large open barrels. Given two to three weeks maceration, then pressed. Matured 20 months on the lees in a mix of foudres and barrels, a small portion of which are new. 12.5% ABV.
Outgoing nose evocative of black raspberry, black cherry, slate and some sweet spice. Medium-bodied yet mouth-filling. The intense juicy fruit is amped up by zingy acidity and tethered by dark minerals and deep tannins, creating the kind of tension that’s usually associated with whites. Long earthy finish. A dynamo of a wine that’s only beginning to show its mettle and so benefits from carafing. People who claim that Galicia is Spain’s most exciting wine region are probably thinking of bottles like this. (Buy again? Absolutely.)
Brett happens 
Eric Asimov raves about this region, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/16/dining/tasting-wines-from-ribeira-sacra.html
Furthermore, this wine is ranked as the standout value in the group (even at a 40% higher price!). To wit:
“Dominio do Bibei Ribeira Sacra Lalama 2010, $36 ★★★ 1/2
Graceful, balanced, fresh and complex, with aromas and flavors of flowers, berries and herbs.”
thomas
July 15, 2014 at 17:48
[…] and depth. Faint vanilla and char notes emerge on the finish. Not quite the equal of the long-ago Lalama but about as good a Mencia as you’ll find for the price. (Buy again? […]
Spain 2, Australia 1 | Brett happens
May 9, 2018 at 11:26