Licia
Brand Description
Jose Limeres, a native of the Galician town of Pontevedra and owner of several successful restaurants in Madrid, entered the wine business in 1985 when he was searching for a reliable supplier of quality wines for his restaurants. He bought his first property in O Rosal and planted native varieties that flourished in the area’s unique climate and soil. The resulting wines proved a hit, particularly his Albariño, which strikes just the right balance of sugar and acidity.
Location of Vineyard
Bodegas La Val is located in the DO of Rías Baixas, in Galicia. Limeres’s first vineyard was in O Rosal, on the Minho River and close to the Atlantic coast. In the 15 years that followed, Limeres expanded with three more vineyards in the area, and today Bodegas La Val covers 200 acres.
Winemaking Philosophy
Soil types in Bodegas La Val’s vineyards range from alluvial and granite to slate, allowing Limeres to produce both terroir-driven, single-estate wines as well as carefully constructed blends. His wines undergo cold maceration and fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
José María Ureta Guzmán is a native of Galícia, born in Pontevedra. He attended the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, from which he graduated with a degree in Chemical Sciences. He later earned a Master’s degree in Enology and Viticulture from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He began his career at Bodegas Vitorianas, part of the Faustino group, in Rioja. From there, he joined Bodegas La Val, where he is currently responsible for the vineyards and cellars.
In 2001, he was named “Young Albariño Winemaker of the Year” by the Order of Albariño Gentlemen. He is a member of the Tasting Committee of the Consejo Regulador de Rías Baixas, the region’s official winemaking consortium.
Winery Profile
Acclaim
— acclaim for 2016 Licia Albariño from Wine Spectator, Aug 2017
— acclaim for 2016 Licia Albariño from Vinous, Mar 2019
— acclaim for 2016 Licia Albariño from Wine Enthusiast, Sep 2017
