Winemaker Notes
The Godello is from three sites in the village of Valtuille de Abajo, though 90% of the fruit in this vintage actually comes from one north-facing site. The ultimate focus here is on preserving acidity, so this wine is picked on the knife edge of ripeness.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Raúl Pérez is fast becoming a winemaking superstar. His Godello, from 20- to 50-year-old vines aged in barrique and foudre, displays scents of yellow fruits, marzipan and Golden Delicious apples followed by an evolving palate of juicy yellow plum, cream, beeswax, peach skin and dried apricot. Steely-fresh acidity keeps the mouth nicely cleansed, working in harmony with a long, tight, mineral finish. Its inherent sweetness perfectly suits grilled king prawns.
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).
One of the few northwestern Spanish regions with a focus on a red variety, Bierzo, part of Castilla y León, is home to the flowery and fruity Mencia grape. Mencia produces balanced and bright red wines full of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, baking spice, pepper and black licorice. The well-drained soils of Bierzo are slate and granite.