Winemaker Notes
This is a very complex and age-worthy vinho branco with a lovely balance between structured, lush quince fruit and vivid mineral flavors. A noble wine to pair with lobster, crab, game and pork dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Viña de Martín Escolma Blanco is the current vintage of the top white, a wine that is not produced every year, and 2014 was a very good year for white wines in the zone. This blend of Treixadura, Albariño, Lado and Torrontés is selected from the oldest vines on poorer soils that are managed to produce one kilo of grapes per vine. Each plot is fermented separately in oak barrels of different sizes depending on the volume and aged separately for one year, after which time the wines are blended and bottled. The wine is kept in bottle for three years before it is released. It has a golden color and a developed nose with plenty of nuance and complexity, white pepper and other spices, quince, a touch of honey and a core of hay and moss. The palate is very tasty and compact, with great freshness and tangerine flavors and a dry, long finish that leaves a chalky sensation. A great white Ribeiro.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Located in the central and southern part of the northwest Spanish region of Galicia, Ribeiro is experiencing a revival thanks to the distinctive wines they produce with native red and white grapes. White wine accounts for 85% of all production in the region with principal white grape varieties as Treixadura, Albariño, Godello, Torrontés and Loureira. Ribeiro’s red grape varieties are Caiño Longo, Caiño Tinto, Caiño Bravo, Ferrón, Sousón, Brancellao and Mencía. Ribeiro's red wines are not quite as popular their white counterparts. The region obtained DO status in 1932.
Immense innovation and investment are now evident throughout the DO, both in the large cooperatives and in the smaller bodegas. An interesting aspect of the area is that many small, independent producers called colleteiros, make wine traditionally from their own grapes.