2014 Valdesil Godello ‘Sobre Lias’ (Valdeorras, Spain)
Fermented and aged in stainless steel but left on lees for an extended period. Reflecting a cooler vintage, snappy citrics, a hint of herb and fennel. On the palate very textural, layered and lip smacking. A wine of dimension fuelled by its savoury structural elements, not driven by in your face aromatics. Lovely.
I am suspicious that Godello would do well in Australia but I do not recall seeing one. Albarino is the current darling but Godello has a lot to offer. Interested in other experiences with the variety.
Kent - Michael Havens makes a quite nice Godello in Napa Valley under the Cave Dog label. Really nice green apple tinged ripe fruit with nice balancing acidity.Leads me to believe you are right about Australia.
I’m also a fan of Godello (and Galician wines in general). It tends to make deeper, fleshier wines than Albarino, enough so that some producers push the ripemess and over-oak it.
Most of it was pulled out to plant Palomino under Franco, and then Albariño, which wasn’t particularly known outside Spain but was better known than Godello. So it almost became extinct, practically disappearing in the 1970s. Consequently there isn’t a lot around. Since the 1980s though, some folks have been trying to do more with it.
If you can find it, try Viñedos de Nieva Pie Franco from Rueda. It’s on ungrafted stock and it’s relatively inexpensive but quite delicious. One of the best actually. And Bodegas Abad Dom Bueno from Bierzo is another one. I used to sell those and preferred them to some of the more expensive versions. For example, As Sortes, made by Palacios, is bigger, oakier, and a lot more expensive. People are trying different things and I suspect that there will be a few types they finally settle on - one being the big, oaky, stereotypical CA Chardonnay-like version, and the other being the crisp, less oaky and leesy simpler version.
The house summer white used to be Godeval. We still like it but don’t drink as much as we did in years past. One side benefit of that is discovering that it actually ages well over the short term. We left a good part of a case of either 2011 or 2012 that we finally got back to drinking this year and were surprised how well it held up. I still prefer it fresh but the wife likes it better now than when we first got it.
Interesting comments thanks especially that it was grubbed up - what a shame! I do like its versatility as it can be made into a number of styles. Read Asimov’s article - interesting to note that you guys pay the same retail as we do wholesale here with our high taxes! #ouch
Check out Algueira and, if you can get an appointment, Dominio do Bibei. At Algueira, I spend a few hours there with the owner that popped in and tasted through pretty much everything they had (something like 13 wines?).
The restaurant they have on-site is so-so and not really worth the price. It’s rustic, simple food where you can basically have something grilled with a giant salad and a couple glasses of wine.
As for Valdesil, I visited there as well and got to check out the vineyards and various types of slate (red and black). Really enjoyed their wines, and am glad to have some in my cellar. Each wine you want to taste costs 10 Euro, but they open fresh bottles and you take the remainder of each with you. It wasn’t possible to taste the Godello Pedrouzos, from their crazy-old vineyard (pre-1900s?), as there is tiny production (only one barrel produced). Their reds are very tasty as well (if I recall, two Mencia and a Brancellao).
The only places to really buy wine are at the wineries themselves, or at the Centro do Vino da Ribeira Sacra right in Monforte de Lemos. You can buy a bottle and drink it at their attached restaurant if you like. Very few of the restaurants in Monforte have decent wine lists otherwise (which is a disappointment). The Parador has a beautiful courtyard where you can sit and enjoy some wine and snacks. I didn’t eat at its restaurant, however. It’s a beautiful city with a river running through.
