Alvaredos-Hobbs: Heroic viticulture, bewildering gradients
Adrian McManus discovers a white wine forged on some of Spain’s most dramatic vineyard slopes
UZ de Hobbs Blanco 2021, Alvaredos-Hobbs
DO: Ribeira Sacra
Variety: 87% Godello, 7% Loureira, 6% Palomino
€18.00 from Alvaredos-Hobbs
If most wineries start with a business plan, Alvaredos-Hobbs begins with a cliff edge.
Perched above the Sil canyon in Ribeira Sacra, this is what happens when a Galician grower with a stubborn attachment to his family’s old vineyards teams up with a globe-trotting winemaker who’s seen just about everything—except, perhaps, slopes quite this ridiculous.
Antonio López spent years quietly piecing back together abandoned plots around the village of Alvaredos. Then along came Paul Hobbs, took one look at the vertiginous terraces and thought: yes, this is worth the trouble. And there is plenty of trouble. Nothing here is mechanized—unless you count gravity.
The vineyards are pure Ribeira Sacra theatre: narrow stone terraces, slate underfoot and drops that make you question your life choices during harvest. Everything is worked by hand, because it has to be.
In the cellar, though, things calm down. The focus is on letting Mencía and Godello speak clearly—no heavy makeup, just a clean translation of those dramatic sites into the glass: fresh, mineral and quietly complex.
In short, Alvaredos-Hobbs is a meeting of patience and perspective: local roots, international experience and a shared willingness to make wine in places where common sense might suggest doing something easier.
UZ de Hobbs Blanco, 2021
A white with altitude—and attitude.
Built primarily on Godello, with a splash of Loureiro and Palomino, it kicks off with an aromatic flourish: citrus blossom, wild herbs and a hint of lavender, followed by a cheeky twist of kumquat and white pepper.
On the palate, it’s less about power and more about poise. There’s a gentle creaminess from time on lees, but nothing that slows it down—this wine moves. The acidity is bright and purposeful, slicing through with unmistakable Atlantic freshness and keeping everything taut, focused and mouth-watering.
The fruit stays cool and composed—no tropical overreach here—while a subtle mineral note quietly reminds you that these vines cling to some fairly ridiculous slopes. You can almost taste the effort.
What really lands is the balance: aromatic but not perfumed, textured but not heavy, serious but not taking itself too seriously.
The finish drifts off in a floral, slightly savoury direction, then nudges you back for another sip before you’ve had time to argue.
A wine that feels both considered and carefree—like someone who’s done the hard work but doesn’t feel the need to mention it.