Rafael Palacios : Louro 2024

Tasting tips for the Louro 2023 from Rafael Palacios

Tasting

This vintage seduces with its broad, fluid palate, marked by the intensity of its ripe stone fruit aromas, an airy texture, and pronounced vinosity. Its savory, saline, and mineral finish reveals a character more refined and elegant than that of the 2023 vintage, which was already remarkable.

A Spanish white wine with a delicate charm and a saline expression

The estate
Hailing from the renowned Palacios Remondo family, Rafael Palacios has established himself as a key figure among Spain’s leading producers. In 2004, he founded his estate in the Bibei valley, in the heart of Galice, acquiring old godello vines. Inspired by his brother Álvaro’s approach, he favored high-altitude parcels and adopted organic and biodynamic practices. Today, he cultivates over 20 hectares with a commitment to precision and deep respect for the terroir.

The vineyard
The wine comes from the Valdeorras appellation, a mountainous region of Galice known for its schist and granite soils. This unique terroir, combined with a cool, altitude-tempered climate, allows the godello to thrive slowly and harmoniously, ensuring freshness, balance, and finesse.

The vintage

The climate of the 2024 vintage was characterized by a mild but very rainy winter, with early bud break that exposed the highest and coldest parcels to frost risk, subsequently affecting 15 to 20% of the vineyard, notably due to very cold nights in April. This led to a yield drop of around 20%. The spring was mild with moderate rainfall, followed by a summer that was also mild but very dry, with very little precipitation. During the first week of September, moderate rains (between 25 and 40 mm depending on the parcels) promoted the end of ripening, particularly at the phenolic level, which proved decisive in achieving a beautiful quality in this gently textured and slightly dry vintage.

Grape variety
100 % godello.