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! — 2 days ago

with Deked1

Barry Shailes

9.9

Oh yes!! Had this on a cheese and wine night. Love it — 3 years ago

Galen Hasler

9.1

Perfect red with fish. Amazing bouquet. Red fruits are light but opening complexities — 5 months ago

Veridiana Severo

9.0

Very nice and light — 2 years 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. — 2 years ago

with Jillian

Cameron Etezadi

9.2

Super interesting. Reminiscent of a gamay with a beautiful nose. Medium high acid and a fairly thin unstructured body. Perfect for pork or duck. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of equal amounts of local red grapes; Caino, Espadeiro and Loueiro, Ruby red color with aromas of red fruits, herb, floral and cigar box notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and raspberry with tobacco, oak and garden herbs. Medium+ finish, chalky tannins, savory, ending with herbs, spice, cedar and slight fruit, savory. Nice, will continue to age. — 9 months ago

Devin Bray

9.2

Very pleasingly fresh and natural for its price, showing very green with aromas of bell pepper, which mingles on the palate with green strawberry. A wine harvested early to compensate for a warm year, and though it shows, the result is tasty. — 2 years ago

Martinez

9.0

Caiño-based blend. Attractive nose, bright red fruit and some peppery notes. Fresh, mineral, great acidity. Very easy to drink. Loved this wine — 3 years ago

Xavi

9.0

High acidity and medium body. Red fruit and some saltiness. Refreshing and interesting Atlantic wine. — 4 years ago