Variety: 100% Godello
Region: Valdeorras, Spain
Cost: $17 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Golden yellow with green hints. Deep variety characteristics in the nose. Fresh, floral, with white fruit traces and a little dab of raisins and lime. Dense, long, and fresh in the mouth where we find floral and fruity nuances, too. The ageing process with the lees provides the wine with consistency and unctuosity, making it perfect for pairing with oily fish, white meats, cheeses, and most appetizers.
My Review: I always like getting to try new grapes, and the Godello grape certainly fit the bill. Knowing that the wine had spent 5 months ageing with its lees, I suspected (and was correct) that my wife wouldn’t be the biggest fan of this wine, but then this isn’t her blog, and that (doesn’t always) matter.
So what did I think of it?
In the glass the wine was a light yellow with hints of green that really shown through when the wine was held up to my kitchen lights. On the nose I picked up aromas of white fruit and lime, with just a hint of floral notes. In the mouth the wine was a bit round, but managed to achieve a fairly clean finish, with floral flavors and a bit of gooseberry.
I paired the wine with a hot Sunday afternoon and prepping lunches for the week. I liked, but didn’t love, the wine. It was fairly balanced, and reminded me of a cross between a Pinot Grigio and a lightly oaked Chardonnay – it didn’t lean particularly heavy in either direction, so in search of either of those this won’t satisfy that craving, but it will split the difference if that’s what you want.
That all being said, for $17 it’s a pretty good value, and wouldn’t be the worst wine to pull out at parties; it’ll suit a fairly wide range of palates looking for a white wine they can enjoy without having to think about or feel the need to comment on (it’s ok, but not something you should expect your guests to compliment you on).
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
