Winemaker Notes
The vineyards used for As Sortes are 6 microsites all planted in the 1970s and purchased by Rafa between 2004-2007. They are located on the north side of the Bibei Valley in Santa Cruz do Bolo. There is a mix of Godello clones here that survived phylloxera and which have been brought back to productivity.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 As Sortes is evolving quite slowly and is more polished than when I first tasted it in November 2023. It feels approachable now and seems to have calmed down, with a profile that doesn't point at the warm and dry year they had in the zone. It has good ripeness (14% alcohol), a vibrant palate with a pH of 3.02 and 7.2 grams of acidity and a long, dry and tasty finish. Rating : 95+
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Wine Spectator
A graceful white, with an effortless feel to the integration of its sleek acidity and salty underpinning. Offers focused flavors of nectarine and white raspberry fruit, lime peel, anise hyssop and almond skin. Racy and lightly spiced on the lasting finish. Drink now through 2030.
Godello is native to northwest Spain and has experienced a major revival in the last 20 years. Godello wines are typically sleek and lightly creamy in texture. Barrel fermentation and lees stirring are typical in Valdeorras, Spain where the grape comes from. These winemaking techniques make the most of Godello's inherent structure and help bring out its lovely floral character. Somm Secret—DNA profiling says that Spain’s Godello is actually identical to the Portugese grape variety Gouveio, which grows throughout the Douro and Dão (where it used to mistakenly be called Verdelho).
Just to the south of Bierzo, the steeply terraced Valdeorras Spanish wine region is a respected source of both red and white wines. Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) and Mencía are the principal red varieties while Godello and Palomino compose the majority of this region's whites.