Dominio do Bibei Lapola Blanco 2023
Dominio do Bibei Lapola Blanco 2023
93 pts Wine Advocate
Drinking Window 2025 - 2030
The 2023 vintage is complex. September was a cold month, and that comes through in the 2023 Lapola, their first white made with Godello and small quantities of Albariño, Doña Blanca and Treixadura from older and younger vines on different soils—granite, schist and sand—at different altitudes and expositions. It fermented in oak containers of different sizes and concrete eggs, where it matured with the fine lees, and then was kept in stainless steel for eight months after it was blended. It's powerful and intense, with 14.1% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.2 grams of acidity, balanced parameters for an unctuous wine with density and clout, finishing with a subtle bitter touch. 35,600 bottles and 360 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2025.
At Dominio do Bibei, they keep searching for places to plant new vineyards, aiming to find the grand crus of Val do Bibei. They have been working with Marco Simonit for four years now, and the focus on the vineyards they planted 25 years ago is the priority. It has been eight years since they began their adventure in the Ribeiro region, in the Avia Valley, where the 2023 vintage seems to be their finest to date. In Ribeira Sacra, they have 30 hectares and produce 120,000 to 140,000 bottles, and in Ribeiro, they have 10 hectares and produce 40,000 to 45,000 bottles. Published: Jul 24, 2025
Our Tasting Note:
Medium lemon yellow. The pronounced nose is a tad more reserved and mineral than the Lalume, plenty of apple and pear, with white floral blossoms, and a line of salinity. More acidity and the perception of more freshness than Lalume, medium/med+ body, med+ palate and persistent finish. Tom's fave of the 2 whites.
Variety: 83% Godello, 10% Albariño and 7% Doña Blanca & Treixadura
Vinification and Aging: Fermented in a mix of foudre and concrete tanks. Aged in large wood vats and concrete tanks on the lees.
