100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:  A new release the 2023 Sorte Antiga from ungrafted bush vines that yield tiny berries is full of tension and grace so refined with a touch of concentration but not too much. It’s just outstanding elegant full-bodied and richly woven in acidity and minerality the kind of wine you’ll remember forever. Drink best 2030-2043. The youngest brother of Alvaro Palacios one of the pioneers of modern Priorat and uncle of Ricardo Perez Palacios of Descendientes de J. Palacios in nearby Bierzo Rafael Palacios came to Valdeorras in 2004 and started buying neglected vineyards planted to forgotten native Godello in low-yielding soils at the highest elevations. The winemaking here is modern with a nod to tradition using horse and mule in the highest vineyards.

97+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:  Sorte Antiga produced with grapes from very old vines planted in 1920 has changed through the years and the 2023 Sorte Antiga seems to be one of the finest vintages to date with the effect of the skin contact almost unnoticeable in the wine other than making it textured and nuanced. The nose is phenomenal too perfumed and with notes of grapefruit and tangerine peel denoting citrus freshness (it has a low pH and notable acidity). The destemmed grapes fermented in an open-top 1500-liter oak vat with indigenous yeasts and matured in third-use 500-liter French oak barrels for nine months. 1250 bottles produced. This vineyard is in the process of being certified organic and biodynamic by Demeter. Rafael "Rafa" Palacios is ecstatic about the quality of his 2023s. He said "The 2023 vintage corresponds to a typically cool year which is evident in the quality of the wines. There was good aromatic and phenolic ripeness due to the year which had more rain than 2024 and milder summer temperatures—it's enhanced by the acidic framework or skeleton of the vintage which makes it very complete and elegant one of the best if not the best of the last decade." As for 2024 from which I already tasted the entry-level Louro it "is a slightly more open and accessible vintage not as vertical as the 2023. For me it's a more immediate opulent and flavorful year. The slightly less rain during the season and the higher average temperatures led to a wine with a different profile."