Ribera del Duero is known for big names and big wines — plush, oak-driven Tempranillos built for cellars and collectors. La Loba is something entirely different.
This is the personal project of Isabel Palomar, who... Read More
Ribera del Duero is known for big names and big wines — plush, oak-driven Tempranillos built for cellars and collectors. La Loba is something entirely different.
This is the personal project of Isabel Palomar, who farms a handful of ancient Tempranillo vines in the remote Soria subzone. It’s a rugged corner of Ribera, high in altitude and far to the east, where sandy soils and cooler nights produce wines with finer tannins and lifted aromatics. These vines are over a hundred years old, their roots deep in untouched soils that have never known chemicals.
Palomar’s approach is as singular as her vineyards. She works alone, harvesting by hand, fermenting with native yeasts, and aging the wine in neutral barrels so the terroir speaks clearly. The result is an expression of Ribera that’s almost shocking in its elegance: powerful, yes — but perfumed, mineral, and full of detail.
La Loba is becoming a cult favorite in Spain, snapped up by the country’s sommeliers on every release. It’s proof that even in a region as famous as Ribera del Duero, there are still new stories to tell.
