Liberty Wines has bolstered its Spanish offering with the addition of Adega Algueira, one of Ribeira Sacra’s most respected estates, and Ocampo, a dynamic new project from Tenerife’s Jonatan García Lima.
The distributor has been appointed exclusive UK agent for both producers, which CEO Tom Platt said represent “the new face of Spanish wine”.
“Fernando González Riveiro of Adega Algueira and Jonatan García Lima of Ocampo are considered local heroes for their dedication to preserving the rich vinous heritage of ancient vineyards, indigenous grape varieties, and traditional practices in their respective regions,” Platt said.
“Fernando and his son Fabio are internationally renowned for making refined wines, from their excellent value young Mencía to the complex, age-worthy ‘Escalada’ Godello. Jonatan is the winemaker behind two of the Canary Islands’ most respected estates and though Ocampo is still in its infancy, we are eager to watch how it develops under his guidance.”
Adega Algueira is widely recognised for reclaiming abandoned terraces in Ribeira Sacra, where viticulture dates back to Roman times. The family-run estate now farms 30ha across 130 plots planted to local varieties including Godello, Albariño, Treixadura, Mencía and Brancellao. Work is carried out by hand on steep slopes with gradients up to 85%, producing wines that express the unique schist, slate and granite soils of the region.
Ocampo, meanwhile, is a 12ha estate in Tacoronte-Acentejo, Tenerife’s oldest DO. García Lima (pictured) is replanting international varieties in favour of native grapes such as Listán Blanco and works with growers up to 800m above sea level using traditional low-to-the-ground ‘rastra’ pruning. His hands-off approach includes spontaneous fermentation and ageing in large foudres, with the wines already making their way onto top restaurant lists globally despite this being only the project’s second vintage.
Liberty Wines said the move further strengthens its Spanish portfolio, which already includes names such as Dominio do Bibei, Rafael Palacios, Casa Castillo and Raventós i Blanc.
Trade customers will have access to a range of wines spanning entry-level introductions to single-vineyard cuvées. Adega Algueira’s offer includes the Brandán Ribeira Sacra Godello 2024 (RRP £24) and Ribeira Sacra Mencía 2024 (RRP £21), as well as the single-vineyard Escalada Godello 2023 (RRP £43) and Pizarra blend (RRP £40). From Tenerife, Ocampo’s line-up features Listán Blanco 2023 (RRP £35) and Listán Negro 2023 (RRP £30), alongside the Vidueño Blanco 2023 and Vijariego Negro 2023 (both RRP £35).
Wines from both Adega Algueira and Ocampo will be available to taste at Liberty’s Autumn Portfolio Tasting in London today (16 September), with Fabio González in attendance.
Dining and Cooking