Randy Fuller

9.5

This wine is dark purple, almost indigo. The nose is bright and strident. Aromas of blackberry dominate, and plenty of minerality comes through. A layer of oak spice completes the scene. On the palate, savory is the word. Earthy tones cover the dark fruit, while spices play with a hint of oak. The finish is lengthy and the tannins are firm without being overwhelming. — 2 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

Ribeira Sacra is a breathtaking region in Galicia, Spain, where the pigmented grape ‘Mencía’ plays a key role in winemaking, producing beautifully perfumed & ambrosial reds.

Just close your eyes & imagine steep slopes plunging down into deep river canyons, with historic terraced vineyards perched along the hillsides, gently curving & weaving along and above the Miño and Sil rivers.

Hopefully this helps paint a picture of Ribeira Sacra’s spectacular terrain but it’s worth searching for actual images (if you’ve never seen it).

The term ‘heroic viticulture’ aptly describes the type of farming that takes place here, where vignerons must perform all vineyard tasks by hand, risking life & limb, to bring these unique and authentic wines to our tables.

This 2019 ‘A Ponte’ is a prime example, thanks to Pedro Rodríguez of Guímaro (meaning “rebel” in Gallego), named after his grandfather with a nod to the fiercely independent & self-reliant local identity.

This wine is made with 30% Mencía accompanied by local, heirloom varieties Sousón, Brancellao, Merenzao, Caiño Redondo, & Caiño Longo) grown on granite, slate and sand.

After harvesting by hand, the grapes underwent a wild ferment using 100% whole clusters, contributing to the fruit-driven profile. This wine was then racked into large (and old) Burgundian oak barrels for about 14 months and bottled without fining or filtering.

The result is gulpably delicious, balanced, & complex. It is overflowing with expressive notes of muddled strawberry, ruby red grapefruit, leather, raspberry, plum, blueberry, mulberry, rhubarb sauce, rooibos tea, violet, bacon fat, forest floor, black cherry, black forest cake, fennel, black licorice, anise seed, and wet moss.

On the palate, it’s dry with an energetic acid profile, soft & fine tannins, medium alcohol (13% ABV), overall medium body, & a lingering finish.

This wine tells a story of heroism, history, & place. Not to mention it’s a highly versatile food-pairing wine, which begs for a shared meal with loved ones. Cheers! — a year ago

with Deked1

Allison Lyzenga

9.0

Medium lemon; medium plus intensity aromas of yellow apple, apple blossom, yellow plum, apricot, firm peach, creaminess, funky mineral ; dry, medium plus acid, medium alcohol, medium plus body, medium plus intensity flavors consistent with aromas, fruit a bit more tart in the palate, green apple, Asian pear; beautiful and ready to drink — 4 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.1

Från Telmo Rodriguez omplanterade vingård i Valdeorras. Galicisk field blend med mencía som huvudroll. Levande vin i lätt rustik stil. Många smaklager av mörka bär, vilda rosor, örter och lite grön paprika. Fin utveckling i glaset. — 6 years ago

Martinez

9.0

Fresh and aromatic blend of indigenous varieties Brancellao, Ferrol, Caiño Longo and Caiño from multiple terraced micro-vineyards - locally known as socalcos- planted on the steep, granite soils in Arnoia (Ourense). steep, granitic hillsides of Arnoia. Red fruit, some spicy notes. — 7 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.2

N fresh and crunchy. Almost candy.

P candy a bit. Early season cherry. Very bright. Crazy. Long.

Chrysalis

Source 23.75 on 5 — 3 months ago

Luis Hartmann

9.5

Vino afrutado muy fresco. Aroma y fragancia frutal. Ácidos, dulces y amargos todos moderados y equilibrados. De lo mejor blanco que he disfrutado — 8 months ago

Adam Kincaid

9.0

Fun grape varietals (Mencia, Brancellao, Caiño, Sousón, Garnacha Tintorera and others.)and natural, terroir driven, winemaking style makes this bottle taste fresh and lively.

Lots of pepper on the nose, freshly snapped stems, and bright herby components dominate but also tagging along are red fruit flavors like pomegranate, raspberry, red apple skin, and bruised strawberry.

Really quite delicious and unique. — 3 years ago

with Jillian

Jakub Kalinowski

9.1

Shy black fruit, wet rocks, a salty whiff, a hint of undergrowth and a pinch of spice.
Fresh, juicy, enticing, savoury with a sweet edge.
Reminiscent of a Blaufränkisch with maybe a bit more cherry and less plum.
Fresh on the palate, quite light, crunchy, juicy tannins, vibrant acidity. Black fruit, undergrowth, baking spice.
So light footed yet with great flow, presence & character. Amazing energy.
This is so juicy & drinkable! Love it! — 4 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.0

Destinos Cruzados was another winery that I tasted the whole gamut at the Peñín Best of Spain show and was unimpressed by, there has been some press and some mentions of this winery and I expected more and cleaner wines than I found. This wine seemed like it was the inexpensive wine of the winery and it turns out it wasn’t so inexpensive after all. All in all good quality and an interesting blend of native varieties. — 5 years ago

Ferran Escrivà

9.4

No harvest in Label. By Raúl Pérez. Wonderful, deep, fresh, very long. — 6 years ago

Justin M

9.1

super acid — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

I didn’t make any notes but I have always enjoyed the Mencia grape from Ribeira Sacra. 80% Mencia and 20% other Spanish varietals including Brancellao, Garnacha and 4 others. Mineral, liquorice and black fruits. I will have the last one later in 2026. — 5 months ago

Todd Scurci

8.9

#littlespain #labarra #mencía — a year ago

Jake Hajer

9.1

Bright cranberry fruit. Good acidity. — 3 years ago

Marina Irgon

9.3

Juicy, delicate, almost French in style. — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.0

100 % Brancellao, an indigenous variety from Galicia, sourced from vineyards in the Condado de Tea subzone, an inland strip in the southern part of the Rías Baixas appellation (close to Ribeiro). Delicate, perfumed nose with notes of red fruit, smoke and some floral, medicinal notes. Light, ethereal and fresh. Slightly rustic, dusty tannins — 4 years ago

Xwae

9.0

Bloody hell!! These Galician Rias Baixas guys really know how to make a winelover feel good. — 5 years ago

Michał Ptaszek

9.4

Cooking chicken chili with Anasheh and Deb, after redoing 20.3 (105 reps!). Fun fun fun! — 7 years ago

Jessica M

9.2

Etxebarri. Delicious, pinot esque — 7 years ago