Classification: DO Valdeorras

Color: Full-bodied white wine

Country: Spain

Region: Galicia

Producer: Rafael Palacios, Ourense

Grape varieties: godello 96%, treixadura 4%

Character: Light yellow in color, sparkling. Beautiful combination of citrus and yellow fruit on the nose, light wood notes, coating in the mouth, spicy, slightly salty, elegant and complex. Totally balanced and long finish. A gastronomic glass of wine.

Winemaking: The specially selected grapes are hand-harvested. After cold maceration, pressing follows, débourbage of the must, and fermentation in large 30 hl wooden foudres from the Calvados region. After fermentation, the wine matures for 4 to 5 months on the lees with limited bâtonnage. No malo. After clarification, bottling follows. The treixadura is blended with the godello before bottling and gives the Louro do Bolo some extra freshness.

Producer information: Rafael Palacios is the youngest of nine children and grew up in Alfaro in Rioja Oriental (Baja). At the family business, he raised the level of white wines and around 2004 he decided it was time to step out of the shadow of his famous brother Álvaro and start his own company in Valdeorras. Godello has captured his heart and Rafael has established a model company with 26 ha of vineyards, high up in the valley of Bibei. In addition, he has just under 10 ha under control and contract and has recently planted new vineyards. Vineyards from 18 to 35 years old such as Chandoiro, Lentellais and Santa Cruz do Bolo are located at over 600 meters altitude in the area around O Bolo. Soils here consist of sand and granite. Low yields of max 45 hl/ha for the Louro up to 25 hl/ha for the As Sortes. Plant density on the beautifully laid terraces is 6,500 to 9,000 vines per ha. As Sortes is a wine from six plots of 50 to 60 year old vines (Os Caneiros, A Coalleira, Souto dos Santos, Alexos, Val de Anta, O Castiñeiro: in total 4.2 ha) from Santa Cruz do Bolo, at 680 meters altitude with a more northern exposure, all in the Val do Bibei, or the valley of the river Bibei. O Soro (0.5 ha) is a vineyard planted in 1978 at 710 meters altitude with a southwest exposure. Biodynamic cultivation here and certified in 2021.

Area information: The Valdeorras area (valley of goud) is located in the eastern part of Galicia, in the far northwest of Spain. The area, with nearly 1,200 ha of vineyards, is situated east of the city of Ourense/Orense, bordering Ribeira Sacra in the west and Bierzo in the east, which is considered part of Castilla y León. Vineyards are often found on terraces along rivers such as the Sil, Xares, and Bibei. Slightly more white than red is produced. Here, godello is king in terms of quality, and mencía generally plays a less important qualitative role. Other varieties include treixadura, loureira, doña blanca, palomino and, among reds, merenzao, garnacha, brancellao, etc. Godello is subject to a lower yield per hectare than the other white varieties. The climate is continental/mediterranean with less influence from the ocean than in other areas of Galicia. The soils in Valdeorras contain slate and stones, or granite and sand, and soils with more sediment and stones. Rainfall is between 850 and 1,100 mm per year, thus less than on the coast in Rías Baixas. The area has more than 1,450 winegrowers and 44 wineries. Pruning is both traditional and vaso (gobelet) as well as trained.

Serving suggestions: With fish dishes, shellfish and crustaceans, light white meat and poultry, sweetbreads, tapas, pasta and rice dishes, Asian/Arab flavors, vegetable dishes such as asparagus, salads.

Serving temperature: 8 to 10ºC

Other information: The godello grape is considered one of the best white grape varieties of Spain and Portugal, where it is called gouveio (real) in the Douro. In the Dão it is called verdelho (a different variety than the verdelho from Madeira), and again in Spain, in (Tierra de) León, it is called prieto picudo blanco. Its origin is therefore probably from the Río Sil in Galicia.