Sió blanc 2023
VdT, Ribas, 750 ml
| Grape variety: | Prensal blanc, Giró ros, Viognier |
| Producer: | Bodegas Ribas |
| Origin: | Spain / Mallorca |
Description
A wonder of flavours, delicate and yet full of expression. The local grapes Prensal Blanc and Giró Ros are paired with the highly aromatic Viognier. A touch of wood ageing provides body, structure and a creamy mellowness. A white that can mature and a wonderful food partner. Ripe citrus fruit, pineapple, fresh apricot and almond on the nose, plenty of fullness and creaminess on the palate, a fine mineral note, elegant with a long finish. Try it with Riz Casimir, poultry in cream sauce, grilled fish with beurre blanc. Or if you fancy lobster...
The Winery of the Year 2024/2025
Bodega Ribas Mallorca is our Winery of the Year until April 2025!
Just 22 kilometres from Palma de Mallorca, in the picturesque village of Consell, the family-run Bodega Ribas has been growing wine for more than 300 years. Over the next twelve months, Bodega Ribas will accompany us with its Mediterranean charm as Winery of the Year and take us on a sensory journey to the marvellous Balearic Islands.
Attributes
| Origin: | Spain / Mallorca |
| Grape variety: | Prensal blanc, Giró ros, Viognier |
| Label: | Vegan, Certified organic or biodynamic wine |
| Ripening potential: | 1 to 4 years after harvest |
| Drinking temperature: | 10 to 12 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Apéro riche, Grilled fish, Whole baked fish, Succulent chicken breast with cream sauc |
| Volume: | 12.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Bodegas Ribas
We could talk about our winery of the year, Bodega Ribas on Mallorca, all day long. But it's best to see and read for yourself! We sent wine journalist Britta Wiegelmann and cameraman Felix Groteloh to experience the winery and the family at first hand. Araceli and Javier Servera Ribas, the brother and sister team behind the wines, tell us how the oldest existing winery on the island survived phylloxera, why they love their local grape, the Mantonegro, so much and what the sea has to do with it all.
For 300 years, the Ribas winery in Consell, a village of 4000 people just a stone's throw from Palma, has been cultivating a real treasure: ancient indigenous grape varieties such as Mantonegro, Gargollassa, Callet, Prensal blanc and the rare Giró Ros. These grapes can only be found here – and who could offer them a better home than the oldest bodega still in existence on the island? Pedro Ribas planted the first vines in 1711, and today the vineyards cover 40 hectares at around 150 metres above sea level with sandy and calcareous, sometimes very stony soils that are cultivated organically.
Prensal blanc
Mallorcan fruit basket
With apple, pear, grapefruit, exotic fruits, almond and anise, the old Majorcan variety Prensal seduces with its aromatic abundance. However, it only has a little acidity. Consequently, it is usually blended with other grapes such as Moscatel, Chardonnay or Viognier, giving the wines freshness. These wines taste best when drank young. Prensal is usually written “Premsal” in Mallorca. Alternatively, it is also called Moll.
Viognier
Saved from extinction
It’s hard to believe that the Viognier nearly became extinct 50 years ago. Today, it grows worldwide on over 10,000 hectares. The variety was first mentioned in 1781, and probably originated in Condrieu, in the northern Rhône Valley. There, and in the 3.8-hectare mini-appellation of Château-Grillet, vintners kept it on the post when the rest of the world wanted to know nothing about it. Its inventory shrank to a meagre 14 hectares. This is because it provides only low yields, and for a while there were no good seedlings. In the 1980s, interest in Viognier reawakened. It actually shows a unique profile: deep golden with good body and aromas of apricot, lime blossom, citrus fruits, honey and hazelnut. It is popular in the Languedoc region, flows into the white Côtes du Rhône and also does very well in California. The best examples fit wonderfully with poultry in cream sauce, noble fish like turbot or – why not? – lobster.
Mallorca
Mallorca: new premium wines from old varieties
The party island is showing an entirely different, more delightful side: every year, more premium wines are produced in Mallorca. While international varieties like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot yield excellent wines in Mallorca’s terroir, top winemakers increasingly use the best native varieties, such as Manto Negro, Callet and Prensal Blanc. The results are independent wines with Mediterranean charm and surprising freshness.
Spain
Spain – Variety and perfection
“Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember...,” begins Don Quixote's odyssey.
The most famous part is definitely when Don Quixote thinks windmills are his enemy and wants to fight them – until they nearly kill him. It’s possible there was a bit too much of the La Mancha wine at play. Spanish vines fight for their survival in rugged landscapes, battling fierce drought and rough soils. But they fight well.
