Descendientes de J. Palacios Al Chelo 2023

Al Chelo comes from a tiny 0.39-hectare plot, in the Valdafoz lieu-dit, in the commune of Corullón in Bierzo. The 50- to 90-year-old vines cling to a dizzying slope, up to 70% in places, facing north and north-east between 612 and 675 metres above sea level. The soil, made of flaky slate over a thin, poor subsoil, limits yields and gives the wine its tension and mineral character.

The harvest is manual, with sorting in the vineyard. The grapes are partially destemmed and then fermented in wooden vessels, with the cap gently punched down for controlled extraction. Ageing lasts around eight and a half months, in barrels and bocoys, a shorter period than for the estate's other cuvées in order to round out powerful tannins. Only 1,244 bottles were produced, bottled in May 2025.

This wine reveals notes of pomegranate, cherry, citrus zest, flowers, mint, balsamic notes, smoke and slate. Juicy, tangy red fruit rests on a minty freshness and a smoky minerality. The medium-bodied, intense palate reveals fine, energetic tannins, lively acidity and a long, precise, mineral finish.

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.