Rafael Palacios AS Sortes Godello 2023

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. (18) FERRAN CENTELLES, www.jancis robinson.com

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. (98) VIRGINIE BOONE, jebdunnuck.com

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.  LUIS GUTIIERREZ