Godello gracious me…

On my recent trip to Spain, I was constantly on the look out for great white wines. Spanish whites have become so good, so interesting and at their best, so delicious that I enjoy trying them. Added to that, they suit the summer temperatures more than red wines and partner pretty much all Spanish food better, in my opinion anyway.

This summer I was fortunate enough to stumble across this wine from the wine region of Valdeorras that is just to the west of Castilla y León’s Bierzo region. It is actually in Galicia, the cool Atlantic influenced part of the country that is often known as ‘Green Spain’. Valdeorras is the most inland of the wine regions of Galicia and therefore has the least coastal influence allowing it to produce wines with great ripeness. It is a small region, boasting only a handful of producers, but quality can be very good indeed:

Louro do Bolo Godello Lias Finas 2008
Bodegas Rafael Palacios, D.O. Valdeorras

The colour is pale while the aroma is fresh, floral and zesty with wafts of green apples and wild herbs as well as a delicate leesy smokiness making it very appetising and attractive.

The palate is rounded, full flavoured and unusually concentrated which makes it deliciously drinkable with the richness balancing the acidity and giving a creamy mouth feel to the wine. The creamy spiciness as a result of the lees ageing and ripeness is quite thrilling while the finish is very long with clean citrus notes and complex savoury herbal characters.

This is a great white wine, perfect with a grilled swordfish steak or seabass.

As soon as I can I will review Rafael’s top white, his As Sortes Godello – so watch this space.