Rafael Palacios Louro Godello 2020

One could make a very strong case for the Palacios clan’s claim to the First Family of Spanish wine. This fantastic 92 POINT godello-based white is just another example of the family’s talent with all things Spain and all things wine. All the sommeliers and winemakers on our list (there are a lot of them) know what a gem this wine is!

Since starting his own winery in 2004, Rafael Palacios has earned a reputation as one of Spain’s preeminent white wine artisans. His over 30 parcels of godello, spread over nearly 20 hectares in Valdeorras, Galicia has become the birthplace of many of Spain’s most interesting white wines. Rafael farms the vines thoughtfully and sensitively – taking into account the fragile nature of these old parcels, planted on terraced steps cut into the steep hillsides and supported by stone walls. His viticulture style is both intentional but with minimal intervention, with most of the older plots farmed biodynamically.

This exquisite Louro godello is a pale straw in color and boasts intense aromas of pomelo, tangerine, and lemon, with wild alpine flowers and grasses and deeply rooted hints of fennel and flinty nuances. On the palate, this weighty, plush, and round wine is charged by a taut, saline minerality and an undercurrent of almost electric vivacity. Lovers of lustrous White Burgundy, or CdP Blanc, Hermitage Blanc, and the like will be astonished and amazed by this pleasingly complex and nuanced wine – at a price that simply can’t be beaten!

PAIRING IDEAS: Try this with your next Indian feast – a proper dahl, butter chicken, or garam masala curry would all be well suited here – plus countless other options to whet your appetite!