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! — 13 days ago

with Deked1

Xwae

9.0

Bloody hell!! These Galician Rias Baixas guys really know how to make a winelover feel good. — 4 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

Barry Shailes

9.9

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

Evandro Pereira

9.4

I didn’t see it coming…blend inusitado de Sousón 40%, Caíño 30%, Ferrón 20% y Garnacha 10%. Etéreo, leve e delicioso de beber (12% abv) — 4 years ago

Ted

9.3

I have never heard of any of the 4 grapes used in this cuvée. Not much on the nose yet but it tastes good. Fresh ripe strawberry, tomato plant leaves. A bit of bottle age has softened the edges — 4 years ago

with Jeni

Marina Irgon

9.3

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

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! — 3 years ago

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. — 5 years ago