Rafael Palacios Sorte O Soro 2023

Sorte O Soro is a single plot in the Val do Bibei, in Santa Cruz do Bolo, in the Valdeorras appellation in Galicia. Planted in 1978 on terraces, with an original, very low-vigour Godello clone, it lies at 710 metres above sea level, on the north-facing side of the valley, where cool breezes temper ripening. The vines are rooted in granite mixed with fine sands and quartz-rich schist, the source of a striking minerality.

The plot is farmed traditionally, with the soil worked by horse and biodynamic methods, pruning and harvesting following the lunar calendar. After the manual harvest and pressing, the must ferments in 500-litre French oak casks. The wine is then aged for eight months in barrel before bottling.

This wine reveals notes of magnolia blossom, mandarin peel, candied lemon, pear, fennel, fresh hazelnut, sea salt and wet stone. The broad, weighty palate is shot through with high acidity and a saline, almost electric minerality from the granite. The finish is of remarkable length and purity.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.