$15 WINES THAT TASTE LIKE $50: 2018 GODELLO

10/6/2020

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

$15 WINES THAT TASTE LIKE $50: 2018 GODELLO

The wine world is full of comparisons to get consumers to try something new. “If you like A, try B” is the standard invitation. So, for this report we are borrowing that template to say: “if you like Chablis, try godello.”

Godello is an unsung grape that is just starting to receive more exposure. It is understandable if you don’t drink a lot of it, if any at all. The 1970s and 1980s saw a resurgence of the variety among discerning producers, which saved it from the brink of extinction. And now, plantations have returned in the cooler areas of Spain, concentrated in the vineyards of Valdeorras, as well as in Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Monterrei. Unlike mencia, the old vines of godello are much rarer, even though the quality is already reassuring.

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1/5

10/6/2020

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

Godello is a versatile variety that is often shaped by both terroir and vintage and leaves the winemaker’s thumbprint on the wine. I find the variety is rich in flavors from lemon zest, green apples, quince, to a floral perfume and even reaches tropical notes in a warmer vintage. But good renditions manage to disguise this richness with a mineral sensibility, recalling a sense of the slate soils in Valdeorras. In a way, this subtlety resembles Muscadet and its “crystalline flavors,” which is why I think the comparison to Chablis is apt — a “sharpened” chardonnay with texture and roundness, especially when coming from a cooler vintage.

Godello also rewards winemaking effort. Like chardonnay, and to some extent albarino too, it is a malleable blank canvas onto which winemakers can splash their creativity. When this includes the length of lees contact and the frequency of batonnage (lee-stirring), which can enrich the mouthfeel and render more mid-palate creaminess and perhaps a hint of reductive character, the Spanish word “sobre lias” (on lees) may appear on the label as sign of quality.

As mencia epitomizes Spain’s freshness in red, godello expresses the same drinkable philosophy as a summer white through its zesty fruit and racy acidity. It’s a white I’d crave on a hot summer afternoon. While being highly drinkable and appetizing, godello also ages nicely and often outlives many white wines. You can expect at least five to eight years of life expectancy, and at a modest price.

See below our pick of eight bottles from the 2018 vintage that retail around $15. These provide an alternative to Chablis for your seafood.

8 great value godello wines Bodegas Avancia Avancia Valdeorras Cuvée de O Godello 2018 – JS93 Available at Zachy’s: $16.99 Losada Vinos de Finca Godello Bierzo 2018 – JS93 International Price: $14 Compañia de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez Godello Valdeorras Gaba do Xil 2018 – JS 93 International Price: $15 Maruxa Godello Valdeorras 2018 – JS92 Available at K&L Wine: $17.99 Pagos del Galir Godello Valdeorras 2018 – JS92 US Average Price: $16 Tilenus Bierzo Godello Monteseiros 2018 – JS91 Price in Spain: $6 https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

2/5

10/6/2020

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

Bodega del Abad Godello Bierzo Abad Dom Bueno 2018 – JS91 US Average Price: $17 Adegas Valmiñor Godello Monterrei Minius 2018 – JS91 US Average Price: $17 – Zekun Shuai, associate editor in Beijing

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3/5

10/6/2020

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TASTING NOTES BODEGAS AVANCIA AVANCIA VALDEORRAS CUVÉE DE O GODELLO 2018 Country Spain Region Galicia Vintage 2018

Score

93

Beautifully fresh and attractively pure lemon and pear aromas with a powdery, floral edge that really charms. The palate has a very fresh and fleshy array of white pears and peaches with a chalky, fine-stone tang on the finish. Really delicious. Drink now.

COMPAÑIA DE VINOS TELMO RODRIGUEZ GODELLO VALDEORRAS GABA DO XIL 2018 Country Spain Region Galicia Vintage 2018

Score

93

Lots of dried apples, pears and mangoes with hints of cream and salty undertones. Full body. Dense and layered with a fresh and beautiful finish. Nice bitterness at the end. Drink now.

LOSADA VINOS DE FINCA GODELLO BIERZO 2018 Country Spain Region Castilla y León Vintage 2018

Score

93

Attractive dried herbs and a fresh, minerally edge and plenty of lemon, too. The palate has a supple and elegant feel with a juicy, elegant and very pristine, linear style.

Drink now.

MARUXA GODELLO VALDEORRAS 2018 Country Spain Region Galicia Vintage 2018

Score

92

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

Lovely depth of fruit to this with dried apples, pears and lemon rind. Some apple pie. Attractive bitter lemon. Full body. Phenolic texture. Drink or hold.

4/5

10/6/2020

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

PAGOS DEL GALIR GODELLO VALDEORRAS 2018 Country Spain Region Galicia Vintage 2018

Score

92

A very dense and layered white with so much yellow-apple and slate character. Creamy and flavorful. Dried mangoes and cooked apples. A lot of everything here. Drink now.

ADEGAS VALMIÑOR GODELLO MONTERREI MINIUS 2018 Country Spain Region Galicia Vintage 2018

Score

91

Lovely freshness to this white, which shows orange blossom, dried lemons, nutmeg and white pepper. A taut palate follows with a light to medium body, bright, crunchy acidity and a mineral-driven finish. Drink now.

BODEGA DEL ABAD GODELLO BIERZO ABAD DOM BUENO 2018 Country Spain Region Castilla y León Vintage 2018

Score

91

This has a fresh, light and bright, elegant feel with crisp pears and melon on offer. Pure and focused. Drink now.

TILENUS BIERZO GODELLO MONTESEIROS 2018 Country Spain Region Castilla y León Vintage 2018

Score

91

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/15-wines-taste-like-50-8-2018-godellos/?print=print

Nicely reductive hue to this white with some white pepper and flint. Then come the green apples and dried citrus with fresh herbs. Medium body, steely acidity and a crunchy, driven finish. Drink now.

5/5