Rafael Palacios, `Louro Do Bolo` Valdeorras Godello 2022

The 'Louro' is a straw colour with youthful highlights. It has intense aromas of citrus fruits, wild mountain flowers, hints of fennel and flinty nuances. On the palate, it is fruit-forward supported by a taut, saline minerality and a textural complexity.

The ‘Louro do Bolo’ is made from small parcels of Godello with an average age of 25 years, grown at over 600 metres above sea level. These parcels are located in the municipality of O Bolo and planted on sandy granitic soils and sandy soils with clay deposits. These sandy soils limit vine vigour and the high altitude ensures marked diurnal variation and a long growing season. The grapes were pressed and the must was fermented in 35-hl French oak foudres. After fermentation the wine was aged on lees for four months prior to bottling.

The 2019 vintage saw more generous yields after the challenging previous two years and was relatively untroubled. High rainfall through spring resulted in an irregular and late budding but summer brought warm temperatures and steady ripening conditions. The high altitudes of the vineyards meant the vines avoided the effect of the high temperatures registered in the region in late August and early September and the bulk of the picking was done in the first half of October.

The grapes were pressed and the must was fermented in 35 hectolitre French oak foudres. After fermentation the wine was then aged on lees for four months prior to bottling.

Since starting his own winery in 2004, Rafael Palacios has fast become one of Spain’s pre-eminent producers of white wine. His 32 parcels of Godello, which are spread over 19.5 hectares in the Val do Bibei in Valdeorras, Galicia, produce some of Spain’s most interesting white wines. The vines are planted on steep hills turned into terraces buttressed by stones. Rafa’s viticulture is sensitive to the fragile nature of these old terraces, and he has adapted his approach to ensure these magnificent structures are preserved. His viticulture is low intervention, with some of the older plots (or ‘sortes’ in Galician) being farmed biodynamically.

Brilliant straw colour. Intense, dry, concentrated, sophisticated. Just the job for those who seek a reliable, sensibly priced alternative to fine white burgundy. Confident and long. Honestly, there is just nothing to criticise about this wine… you may be amazed to read. JancisRobinson.com