Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The entry level white 2015 Gaba do Xil is old vine Godello (and the old vineyards always contain other grape varieties...) from granite soils in steep slopes; it is fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. 2015 was a warm vintage, but the extreme heat provoked a blocking in the plants and the ripening was late anyway. It's fresh and accessible, but with grip and even some tannins, and a subtle minerality that would stand to white meat dishes. Decant it in advance if you pull the cork anytime soon, as the recent bolting has given it a slight reduction.
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).
Just to the south of Bierzo, the steeply terraced Valdeorras Spanish wine region is a respected source of both red and white wines. Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) and Mencía are the principal red varieties while Godello and Palomino compose the majority of this region's whites.