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Rafael Palacios Louro Godello 2020  - First Bottle

Reviews

92+ Robert Parker's WIne Advocate -
The 2020 Louro is a little riper than the 2019 and has a softer palate. The process was the same as always, fermentation in 3,500-liter French oak foudres, where the wine matured with lees for four months. It has 14.1% alcohol with a pH of 3.26 and 6.6 grams of acidity. It feels very young and a little closed, reductive perhaps. It's quite fruit-driven, and there is a sensation of a little more ripeness here, more balsamic. It's quite round and gentle but with a nice mineral background. This feels undeveloped, but it should improve with a little more time in bottle. 175,000 bottles were produced. The wine was bottled between May and June 2021 from a single master blend.
91 Decanter -
Lemon posset and vanilla aromas on the nose, with hints of fennel. Rich style with a harmonious acidity. Lingering finish.

Technical Details

  • BlendGodello
  • CountrySpain
  • RegionGalicia
  • AppellationValdeorras
  • Farming MethodOrganic and Biodynamic
  • Aging/CooperageAged on lees for 4 months
  • Alcohol14.2%
  • PH3.26
  • TA6.6g/100mLs

Rafael Palacios Louro Godello 2020

Other Whites  |  Spain
WA92+, DC91

Organic and Biodynamic
30% off retail!

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!

About the Producer

In 2004, Rafael Palacios started his wine project in Valdeorras by buying mature vineyards of the indigenous Godello grape variety from older local growers. Palacios had previously worked as a consultant in the area and was motivated to revitalize the unique sub-zone of the Bibei Valley in the Municipality of O Bolo. This region had seen the almost complete abandonment of grape production due to the challenging topography and low productivity of the soil. However, it has a long history of grape cultivation on terraces, and the small plots that dominate the area are the result of inheritances drawn by lot, a tradition known as "Sorte" in the Galician language. This tradition inspired the name of the wine, As Sortes.