Dominio do Bibei Lalume Blanco 2023
94 pts Wine Advocate
Drinking Window 2024 - 2030
I was quite impressed when I put my nose in the glass of the 2023 Lalume, their white from Ribeiro. 2023 was far from easy there, and they had to do a lot of selection, sorting and discarding. But the hard work seems to have paid off, and the wine is delicate, expressive, intense and clean, with complexity, mixing notes of white and yellow fruit, herbs and flowers. It was produced with a blend of 88% Treixadura, 6% Albariño, 5% Godello and the rest Caíño Branco, Torrontés and Loureira. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in different materials and sizes: stainless steel, concrete eggs and large barrels and foudres, where the wine matured with fine lees and without going through malolactic fermentation, the blend finishing in large 12,000-liter stainless steel vats. It's round and fresh, with contained ripeness, 13.1% alcohol, a pH of 3.3 and 5.9 grams of acidity, coming through as balanced. It's elegant, pure and focused like never before. 44,084 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024. - Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drinking Window 2025 - 2035
The 2023 LaLume is 85% Treixadura with other local varieties from Ribeiro. Aged for six to seven months in barrel, stainless steel and concrete, it delivers the region’s hallmark profile with notes of honey and delicate flowers, plus a herbal touch. This is broad and unctuous, with a straightforward palate. It offers a long, lightly saline finish. This is an expressive white with a subtle nod to the New World. - By Joaquín Hidalgo on September 2025 Established by textile entrepreneur Javier Domínguez and his wife, María Rodríguez, Dominio do Bibei sits in Quiroga-Bibei on a mountain slope with panoramic views. The winery makes use of the terrain’s gradient to move wines via gravity towards what is one of the region’s most beautiful cellars. Surrounding vineyards include both new and old plantings. Technical Director Paula Fernández shapes a precise style, firmly rooted in terroir but with an international touch. In addition to the established Laluma, Lalama, Lapola and Dominio do Bibei wines, this year saw the release of Confidencial, a Garnacha Tintorera-based blend with Sousón, Mouratón and Brancellao. This is one of the few Tintorera-based reds in the region. It’s a striking success.
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 (2022):
Medium lemon yellow. Pronounced nose is judiciously rich and creamy, but elegant with apple, pear, florals and subtle spices. Medium body, medium acidity, fine, smooth edges texturally. A medium+ palate intensity and a delicious finish fans out nicely. Reminds me of a hypothetical white burgundy meets white Rhone blend. Ken's favorite of the 2 whites.
Variety: 98% Treixadura, 2% Albarino
Vinification and Aging: Fermented with native yeast in a variety of vessels. Aged in foudre, barrique and concrete.
Description
94 pts Wine Advocate
Drinking Window 2024 - 2030
I was quite impressed when I put my nose in the glass of the 2023 Lalume, their white from Ribeiro. 2023 was far from easy there, and they had to do a lot of selection, sorting and discarding. But the hard work seems to have paid off, and the wine is delicate, expressive, intense and clean, with complexity, mixing notes of white and yellow fruit, herbs and flowers. It was produced with a blend of 88% Treixadura, 6% Albariño, 5% Godello and the rest Caíño Branco, Torrontés and Loureira. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in different materials and sizes: stainless steel, concrete eggs and large barrels and foudres, where the wine matured with fine lees and without going through malolactic fermentation, the blend finishing in large 12,000-liter stainless steel vats. It's round and fresh, with contained ripeness, 13.1% alcohol, a pH of 3.3 and 5.9 grams of acidity, coming through as balanced. It's elegant, pure and focused like never before. 44,084 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024. - Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
Drinking Window 2025 - 2035
The 2023 LaLume is 85% Treixadura with other local varieties from Ribeiro. Aged for six to seven months in barrel, stainless steel and concrete, it delivers the region’s hallmark profile with notes of honey and delicate flowers, plus a herbal touch. This is broad and unctuous, with a straightforward palate. It offers a long, lightly saline finish. This is an expressive white with a subtle nod to the New World. - By Joaquín Hidalgo on September 2025 Established by textile entrepreneur Javier Domínguez and his wife, María Rodríguez, Dominio do Bibei sits in Quiroga-Bibei on a mountain slope with panoramic views. The winery makes use of the terrain’s gradient to move wines via gravity towards what is one of the region’s most beautiful cellars. Surrounding vineyards include both new and old plantings. Technical Director Paula Fernández shapes a precise style, firmly rooted in terroir but with an international touch. In addition to the established Laluma, Lalama, Lapola and Dominio do Bibei wines, this year saw the release of Confidencial, a Garnacha Tintorera-based blend with Sousón, Mouratón and Brancellao. This is one of the few Tintorera-based reds in the region. It’s a striking success.
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 (2022):
Medium lemon yellow. Pronounced nose is judiciously rich and creamy, but elegant with apple, pear, florals and subtle spices. Medium body, medium acidity, fine, smooth edges texturally. A medium+ palate intensity and a delicious finish fans out nicely. Reminds me of a hypothetical white burgundy meets white Rhone blend. Ken's favorite of the 2 whites.
Variety: 98% Treixadura, 2% Albarino
Vinification and Aging: Fermented with native yeast in a variety of vessels. Aged in foudre, barrique and concrete.
