Bodegas Virgen del Galir Sede e Fame Palomino 2019
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Robert
Parker
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The 2019 vintage in Val do Bibei was marked by late budding of the vines, especially for Palomino (last week of April), which caused a slow and late ripening process, characterized by a dry summer, with low yield. A cold year marked by good acidity and salinity. Harvested in the last week of September, it is the last white to be harvested in Val do Bibei.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Sede e Fame is a white produced from the oldest Palomino vines, from the beginning of the 20th century, in the zone of As Ermitas in the Val do Bibei. These grapes are the last to be picked in the valley, but the wine is only 11.8% alcohol and has good freshness (pH 3.2). It fermented in tinaja and a very old sherry cask, where it matured for 24 months. This is reductive, austere and serious, with acidity and freshness. It has spiciness from the butt, but it didn't develop any flor. It has the subtle salinity of the wines from the south. The palate is light to medium-bodied, sharp and dry, with a chalky feeling to it. The long aging has stabilized the wine that feels young and with a beautiful sapidity, the salty tastiness of granite. Austere and vertical in a style I love.
The Virgen del Galir winery is located in Éntoma, a small village in Orense. It has been part of the CVNE family since 2018. The Galir Valley falls under the Valdeorras DO (designation of origin). The winery’s philosophy is to make wines that reflect the values of the land whilst respecting local traditions. This begins with the winery’s name, a tribute to Our Lady of Galir, the protector of the region’s vineyards.
In recent years, several vineyards have been replanted and recovered in the Galir and Bibei Valleys to produce a complete range of villa (“terroir”), parcela (plot of land) and gran cru wines. The white wines of Virgen del Galir are made with grapes from the Galir Valley, an area with a lot of slate and vineyards at high altitude. The red wines are harvested from vines grown on granite soil, from plots in the Galir and Bibei Valleys.
The Virgen del Galir team is young and dynamic, closely linked to the environment and traditions of this place, with extensive knowledge of the area. Miguel Tienda and the oenologist Jorge Navascues are responsible for heading up the team and contribute their extensive experience in the wine sector and their great ideas to a project with a promising future.
The grape responsible for dry Sherry, Palomino also makes a refreshing dry white wine with a light body and low acidity. Still white Palomino wine shows qualities of apple, peach and saline while dry Sherries express almond, baking dough and fresh herb aromas and flavors. Palomino shows high yields even when grown in warm, arid conditions. This quality, combined with its relatively low acidity, make it the perfect grape for Sherry production.
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.