Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Citrusy, with an incisive herbal edge alongside bruised apples. The elegant palate is rich yet contained, with flavorful density. 10% dona branca aged in amphorae is blended with godello from barriques. From two parcels, one in Valtuille and the other in Cacabelos. Generous, with great harmony, joy and heart. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 La Vizcaína La del Vivo comes from Valtuille and Cacabelos, with some 10% Doña Blanca (from a 700-liter amphora, whereas all the Godello was in foudre). It fermented without temperature control, without racking and without malolactic. It also took time in finishing fermentation, and some 60% of the wine went through malolactic. There is a whiff of oak, which is noticeable in the texture. There are some 10,000 bottles.
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.