Rafael Palacios Louro Godello 2022

Rafael Palacios Louro Godello 2022

 

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Rafael Palacios
Louro Godello 2022
  • Vintage : 2022
  • Country : Spain
  • Region : Galicia
  • Subregion
  • Type : White
  • Style Medium Bodied Aromatic Dry
  • Format : 75cl
  • Alcohol : 13,5°
  • Grappes : 94% Godello, 6% Treixadura

If we had to pick an example of wine to illustrate the word “balance” it would be Louro. It combines the freshness of Galician wines with the richness of lees contact and oak ageing in a very elegant and subtle way. Rich but precise, this is a a real treat for discerning palates.

Experts Score Vintage
RP Robert Parker 92+ 2022
WS Wine Spectator 92 2020
JD Jeb Dunnuck 93 2017
VN Vinous (Antonio Galloni) 92 2014
More information on wine critics and ratings

Vineyards: The vineyards are located in the Northwest of Spain, in Galicia. The vines are planted on steep terraces in the right bank of the Bibei river, between 600 and 720 metres above sea level. The soils are sandy and shallow, mainly of decomposed granite. The subsoil is pure granite, and the roots do not penetrate more than 1 or 2 metres. The climate is a combination of continental and Atlantic, depending on each parcel as some areas are more protected than other by western mountains. Annual rainfall is around 850 and 1000 mm.

Viticulture: Viticulture is organic and the vines are planted in bush and espalier training systems. The age of the vines varies from 8 to 90 years. To avoid sunburning the vineyard is covered with straw in the summer.

Winemaking: The must ferments in temperature-controlled French oak casks of 300 and 500 litres capacity, and then spends 4 months in contact with the fine lees in the same casks. 20% of the casks are renewed each year.

Tasting Notes: Nose shows intense aromas of ripe red apple, apricots, honeysuckle, lemon peel and hints of cream. On the palate it is fresh and tasty, very elegant with a persistent finish.

Rafael purchased some mature vineyards in Valdeorras in 2004, motivated by the idea of recuperating this unique sub-zone of the Bibei Valley in the Municipality of O Bolo. He has accomplished this with resounding success. Much like neighboring Ribera Sacra, much of the Godello in Valdeorras is cultivated traditionally on steep terraces. The predominance of small plots is the result of inheritances drawn by lot, often out of a hat, called “Sorte” in the Galician language, and the… Read more

Robert Parker (RP) : 92+ Points (2022)
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.

Wine Spectator (WS) : 92 Points (2020)
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.Rating: 92+

Jeb Dunnuck (JD) : 93 Points (2017)
In the same style, the 2017 Louro Do Bolo is a blend of 92% Godello and 8% Treixadura from sandy, granitic soils, fermented and aged in larger foudre. Crushed lime, citrus pith, white flowers, and a beautiful salinity all give way to a medium-bodied, racy, vibrant white that makes you salivate. It’s going to be incredibly versatile on the dinner table, and while I’d drink bottles over the coming year or so, I wouldn’t be surprised if this evolves gracefully for longer.

Vinous (Antonio Galloni) (VN) : 92 Points (2014)
Bright, green-tinged straw. Incisive, mineral-accented aromas of tangerine, pear skin and white flowers, with an intense gingery topnote. Dry and sharply focused on the palate, offering concentrated citrus and orchard fruit and floral flavors underscored by chalky minerality. Finishes dry and very long, with resonating orange zest and jasmine qualities and lingering minerality. Following fermentation in French oak foudres this wine was aged on its lees for four months.

Rafael Palacios As Sortes 2021
Rafael Palacios As Sortes 2021
Rafael Palacios
As Sortes 2021
RP
96
DCT
91
WS
93
This is a serious wine, characterized by its balance of richness and fresh acidity–and a wonderful example of Godello’s potential when placed in the right hands. Structured and precise, it displays a distinctive minerality that tells of its mountainous origins.
75,00 €
Quantity : moins plus
Wine regions guide
27,90 €
Quantity : Moins     Plus
 
 
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Rafael Palacios Louro Godello 2022 Reviewed by Robert Parker 05-09-2023 . Score: 4.5