Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
From a parcel of vines on sandy soil in the town of Valtuille de Abajo, this godello has precise acidity that delineates all of its flavors: touches of flint and nuts along with ripe white fruit. The texture is welcoming, even as it holds tension thanks to that acidity. Although it drinks well now, especially with shrimp in garlic oil, this white has a long life ahead.
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.