Winemaker Notes
Godello sourced from young vines in various parcels around Raúl’s home village of Valtuille de Abajo on clay and alluvial stones. Fermented in foudre and aged in neutral barrels without flor.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Pale yellow-gold. Fresh orchard and pit fruits, lemon pith, marzipan, tarragon and pungent flowers on the intensely perfumed, mineral-accented nose. Concentrated peach, pear, orange, honey and succulent herb flavors pick up a spicy quality with air. The mineral and floral notes drive an impressively long, gently chewy, finely detailed finish that leaves pear skin and green almond notes behind.
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.