XV tasting of the Ribeira Sacra wines
The best wines from the D.O. Ribeira Sacra were announced, after holding the XV tasting of the Ribeira Sacra wines on Thursday and today. 13 tasters decided that the best red wines of the Ribeira Sacra were:
Third prize JavierFernádez from the bodega Javier Fernández from the subregion Ribeiras do Miño.
Second prize San Mamed from the bodega Rosa MarÃa Pumar from the subregion Quiroga- Bibei
First prize Val de Frade from S.A.T. Os Ermitaños the subregion of Quiroga-Bibei.
The best white wines were:
Third prize Ponte da Bodega from bodega Ponte da Bodega S.L. From the subregion of Ribeiras do Sil
Second prize AbadÃa da Cova from Adegas Moure S.A. From the subregion of Ribeiras do Miño.
First prize Algueira de Algueira S.L., from the subregion of Amandi.
This year was the second year running for the category of wines produced from harvests from previous years. Due to the numbers of labels participating only one prize was awarded which went to:
VÃa Romana mencÃa 06 de Adegas e Viñedos VÃa Romana S.L. From the subregion of Chantada.
As in previous years the winners received pieces of artwork from the pottery in Gundivós. This year, as well as the prizes for the best wines as tasted by the panel of judges, there was a special prize of recognition of a 'person that has dedicated himself to the world of wine', which was presented by the President of the C.R.D.O.R.S. This special prize went to José Luis Hernáez Mañas, expert in viticulture and enology, who was also a member of the tasting panel.
In his acceptance speech Hernáez Mañas praised the strength and tenacity of all those that have worked in this Denominación from the beginning until the current day with wines that are improving year on year. He said that the wines that were tasted today were technically magnificent. He took the opportunity to discuss how the Ribeira Sacra had the right conditions to ensure that all its wines could show great variety between them and he made an appeal to encourage this diversity.
The tasters of the XV wine tastings of the Ribeira Sacra felt that this year the white wines had made a surprising leap forward in quality in respect to previous years. The red wines had maintained their continuing development that they had shown in previous years and the aged wines were characterised by their consistency and their distinctiveness in contrast with the wines from other D.O.s
Amongst the dignitaries present at the meal were the President of the Diputación Provincial de Lugo, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, mayors from the councils of the Ribeira Sacra and representatives from other independent authorities. According to the President of the C.R.D.O.R.S, José Manuel RodrÃguez, today is a celebration for the C.R.D.O.R.S , a 'moment of recognition of the improvements and interchange of knowledge that has occurred in order to achieve todays improvements because the D.O. is a result of everyone´s work and is for everybody'.