Sorte Antiga, Rafael Palacios 2020

The 2020 Sorte Antiga is only the third vintage of this skin-contact white from an old plot of Godello planted in 1920. It fermented with skins in a 1,500-liter oak vat for 30 days and matured with lees in used 500-liter French oak barrels for nine months, which is a shorter élevage than the 2019. Surprisingly enough, this is lower in alcohol than the equivalent 2019 and the lowest of all the 2019 and 2020 wines. It also has a low pH and high acidity. It feels fresher and more elegant than the 2019, lighter on its feet and more nuanced with beautiful aromatics of wild herbs. The effect of the skins is even subtler. This is their oldest vineyard, and they have managed to extract the nuance of the grapes through the fermentation with the skins, something they have improved each vintage. Godello can be very vegetal and unripe, so the challenge to make a skin-contact white is high. The palate here is vibrant and refreshing. This is very elegant, lightyears from the rusticity of many skin-contact whites. The higher altitude and the older vines made for a superb wine in 2020 here. This is also young but approachable, a skin-contact white that keeps its identity. 890 bottles were filled in July 2021. Drink 2022 - 2029.