Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There was a terrible frost in 2017; they lost 85% of the crop and had to do two harvests for the 2017 Gaba Do Xil Godello, one for the original grapes and the second some 18 days later for the second flowering, so they did two fermentations and a blend of the two. It's a little reduced, so decanting it in advance might not be a bad idea. It's been in bottle for almost one year, and they released it quite soon because the last few vintages have been very short, so perhaps the wines are released a little too soon. The wine feels quite young and undeveloped, with some bay leaf aromas and a subtle palate with focused and persistent flavors.
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.