2023 Cesar Marquez La Salvacion Godello
2023 Cesar Marquez La Salvacion Godello

2023 Cesar Marquez La Salvacion Godello

96 pts
Cesar Marquez |Bierzo |Godello
The white wine that sparked a regional revolution, this is a piercing, mountain-grown Godello that cements César's status as the new master of Bierzo whites.
Price:
$69.00
Stock:
Sold out
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Description

"César Márquez is my Bierzo Winemaker of the Year for 2025... he is crafting wines with real finesse and a 'vertical' poise that marks him as a leader of the region's new generation."
- Tim Atkin MW

César Márquez is easily one of the most exciting names in Spanish wine right now, and La Salvación is the bottle that started his white wine journey back in 2015. Sourced from a centenary plot in Arganza, which is the cooler, mountainous northern edge of Bierzo, this isn't your average fruity Godello. It’s a wine of serious structure and mountain energy.

The fruit comes from 100 year old vines that were actually regrafted from Mencía onto Godello decades ago, sitting on a unique mix of clay and slate at 700 meters. César ferments and ages the wine in large 500L French oak barrels, skipping malolactic fermentation to keep that piercing acidity front and center.

On the nose, it’s all about flinty reduction, dried lemons, and wild herbs. The palate is where it gets interesting. It’s medium to full bodied with a rich, talc-like texture, but it’s underpinned by a steely backbone and some massive acidity. It feels powerful yet restrained, finishing with a salty, moreish tang that just keeps going.

This 2023 release is a total knockout, picking up a massive 96 point score from the Tim Atkin Bierzo Report. It’s a sophisticated, mineral drenched white that takes a little time to open up in the glass, but once it does, it's easily one of the most compelling Godellos out there. If you’re into white Burgundy or high end Chablis, you'll love this.

96 points "A wine of precision with a morish saline finish... perfectly balancing the richness on the palate." - Beth Willard (Tim Atkin Bierzo Report)

96 points "Very expressive, with plenty unfolding in the glass... rich yet restrained." - James Suckling


96 points, "This is the very first white that César made back in 2015 from Godello grafted onto 100 year old Mencía vines in Arganza, in the very north of the region. It’s a wonderful expression of Godello, fermented and aged in 500L barrels. Subtle green apple and pear are layered over wet stone and a steely backbone. Serious acidity underpins the wine, perfectly balancing the richness on the palate. A wine of precision with a morish saline finish. 2025-2029" - Beth Willard (Tim Atkin Bierzo Report)

96 points, "Dried lemons and herbs on the nose, with a subtle, savory edge. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, offering rich yet restrained white fruit layered with mineral tension. Very expressive, with plenty unfolding in the glass and a delicate saline note in the finish. Sourced from three parcels planted at around 700 meters in Arganza in Bierzo. Fermented in 500-liter French oak barrels. No malolactic fermentation. Drink or hold." - James Suckling

95 points, "The white Godello 2023 La Salvación was produced with grapes from a one-hectare centenary plot in Arganza, the northernmost and cooler village in Bierzo, a plot on clay and slate that was regrafted from Mencía some 20 years ago. The destemmed grapes were pressed in a pneumatic press, and the juice fermented in 500-liter oak barrels after setting for 24 hours. It matured in those barrels for one year, with the lees but without bâtonnage. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.07 and 7.25 grams of acidity, meaning good ripeness and very good freshness and acidity. It's vibrant and very tasty, piercing and pungent, with a nice compromise between power and elegance. It's more direct, sharp and tasty but with restraint; it takes time to open up in the glass. 6,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025." - Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate)

95 points, "The 2023 Godello La Salvación hails from Arganza, in the northern, mountainous reaches of Bierzo. It opens with a reductive, flinty note that gives way to the floral traits of the variety and a touch of apple. On the palate, this reveals power, energy and depth lifted by freshness and a soft, talc-like texture on the finish." - Joaquin Hidalgo (Vinous)

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type White
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Godello
Country Spain
Region Bierzo
Reviewed By Vinous
James Suckling
The Wine Advocate
Tim Atkin MW
Critic Score 96
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023

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