2023 As Sortes
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Tasting notes
A stunner, the 2023 As Sortes Val Do Bibei is textured, lengthy, complex, and resplendent in natural acidity, tasting of wet stone. Like an Austrian Gruner Veltliner, it has structure and subtle fruit full of mineral-driven citrus and savory tones. Fully developed, this medium-bodied white is powerful yet delicate, a gorgeous contrast of brawn and beauty that should age well another 10-15 years. The youngest brother of Alvaro Palacios, one of the pioneers of modern Priorat, and uncle of Ricardo Perez Palacios of Descendientes de J. Palacios in nearby Bierzo, Rafael Palacios came to Valdeorras in 2004 and started buying neglected vineyards planted to forgotten native Godello in low-yielding soils at the highest elevations. The winemaking here is modern, with a nod to tradition, using horse and mule in the highest vineyards.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2023 As Sortes reminded me of the 2021 vintage. It's perfumed, elegant and harmonious, with ripeness, elegance and freshness, with 14% alcohol and superb acidity that make it balanced and lifted up. It comes from six small vineyards ("sorte" locally) planted at the end of the 1970s and 1980s on the north face of the Bibei Valley at 680 meters above sea level on sandy granite soils that give the wine finesse and elegance. It fermented in 500-liter French oak barrels with indigenous yeasts and matured in those barrels with the fine lees for eight months. There's a sense of purity and precision that I like very much, while the texture has very fine granularity. It's very tasty and clean. 23,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024.
Godello. A mosaic of seven carefully selected vineyard plots (just 10% of the total holdings of Rafael Palacios) planted on granitic soils. Fermented and aged in 500-litre barrels (1 to 5 years old), French and Austrian oak. It had been far too long since I last tasted As Sortes – my memories go back to the elBulli days, 14 years ago. Back then, it was a powerful, toasty and creamy wine. Today, it shows a completely different profile: mineral, chalky, crystalline and pure. Its acidity is strikingly saline, with great tension and finesse. It unfolds beautifully – long, sharp and precise. I’m truly impressed by the subtlety and clarity of this wine. A stony, steely finish. Undoubtedly one of the world’s great white wines. (FC)
The 2023 Godello As Sortes Val do Bibei comes from Valdeorras. It opens with gentle primary aromas of pear and linden blossom, intertwined with soft herbal notes and a hint of anise, all set against a delicate backdrop of oak, where the foudre adds nuance. Sleek, supple and marked by elegance and poise, the palate is intense yet slightly compact, with a fine talc-like texture on the finish. This is a well-crafted and complex expression.