Sorte Antiga, Rafael Palacios 2021

The one wine that is different here is the 2021 Sorte Antiga, as it ferments in an open oak vat with skins. They have been lowering the time the wine is in contact with the skins, to around three weeks, and they have been shortening the élevage in well-seasoned and neutral 500-liter French oak barrels that had been used for As Sortes before. In the last few years, there has been a progression of the wines toward more transparency, more definition and purity, letting the soils go through and the process to be less noticeable, even in a style where the process tends to mark the wines. You'd never guess this is a skin-contact white, as it's very subtle and elegant. It keeps the poise and energy of the old vines and has the freshness of the year. This is spectacular, the finest vintage for this wine.