Godello: The rising star of Spanish white wine
I first discovered Godello when travelling in northern Spain a few years ago when we stopped at a bar in a sleepy town in the Bierzo region. Sitting outside eating Octopus (Pulpo) with a plate of grilled peppers, olives, and freshly baked bread. I asked what wines they recommend I was told to try a local white wine called Godello, having never heard of it I decided to take a chance, and thank goodness I did as it is now probably my favourite white wine.
Godello, a forgotten grape that almost became extinct in the 1970’s is making a comeback and probably has been for a while now but it’s still not as popular as other Spanish whites. For me it’s Spain’s hidden gem and deserves to be up there with the likes of Albarino, Verdejo and Viura, in fact I’d say, for me, as much as I like the other wines, it would be top of the list by a country mile.
It varies in style significantly from bright with minerality to denser, richer, and complex, depending on whether it’s made in Stainless steel tanks, sitting on Lees, or matured in oak barrels. That’s what I love about Godello it’s a wine with character and you can pick whatever you want that character to be like, generally found in the Northwest part of Spain in Galicia especially in its homeland Valdeorras.
Review: Godello — Winemakers Series 2018
Exclusive to Majestic Wines, from the ‘Winemaker Series’. This Godello was made by a talented winemaker Katia Alvarez, who has been at the helm of Bodegas Martín Códax in Galicia for 15 years. Katia is probably without a doubt one of the most talented winemakers in Spain.
Bought this a while ago now, and to be honest I was a little concerned about how it would stand up when opened, but I didn’t have to worry as it was still bright and fresh and a real joy to drink.
Sticking my nose in the glass there was a distinct baked pear aroma, with a hint of pineapple. Taste wise there was a little more citrus and minerality but still showing some of those tropical flavours, including a touch of passion fruit. As I said it was still fresh, with lots of bright acidity and enough complexity to keep it interesting.
Chardonnay drinkers would love it, I’m sure, I can’t get enough of it, if you’ve not tried it I urge you to do so, pronounced (Goh-deh-yoh) seek it out in any of its guises.
