Godello is a white grape variety primarily found in northwest Spain and northern Portugal. The grape is capable of producing very fine white wines, and it is in the Valdeorras region that its greatest successes are seen.
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Rafael Palacios is the son of D. José Palacios Remondo (founder of Bodegas Palacios Remondo) and the brother of Alvaro Palacios(Priorat) but ultimately a passionate producer of white wine. After producing his first white at the family-run winery, called Plácet, he decided to set up his own winery in Galicia, in the Valle del Bibei, under the Valdeorras denomination. Established in 2004, Rafael Palacios has rapidly become one of Spain’s greatest producers of white wine. His focus is on the local variety Godello, grown in a small estate on very old vines that are up to 90 years old from the areas steep-sided, terraced vineyards and have been cultivated with respect of the land, without using any type of herbicide or pesticide. Rafael Palacios is refining his work year after year, reaching the magic of the greatest wines. A top wine, and one to keep. Grub pairing suggestions are mild Asian dishes, Moroccan specialities, fish ragout with saffron sauce Risotto ai frutti di mar -
This slinky, mineral white hails from Valdeorras (“Valley of Gold”) in eastern Galicia, a region once famous for goldmining and now best known for its unique and complex wines made from the indigenous Godello grape. The wine is named for the river Sil that flows through the region (Xil is its ancient name, used by the Celtic people who once inhabited the area). Many of the river’s tributaries are flanked on either side by vineyards, planted in terraces on steep slate hillsides. The label displays a dozen bridges, symbolizing the idea of crossing from one vineyard plot to another. Gaba do Xil Godello is produced partially from grapes that are partially estate-grown and partially sourced from long-term suppliers. They come from 4 plots (O Val Grande, O Rasedo, A Torgueira, and O Valverde) located near the Bibei tributary, close to the town of Santa Cruz. Dotted with chestnut trees mixed with rockrose, the old granitic terraces barely have enough space to squeeze in the odd row of vines, following the folds of the mountains that plunge into the river. The vines grow in shallow, stony granite soils on terraces facing south, west and northwest. These coarse soils are low fertility and have low water retention capacity, forcing the vines to struggle and limiting yields. This Godello, is unoaked, gentle, restrained and precise which is dry and soft with a touch of godello's distinctive minerally citrus fruit, absoloutly perfect with light sea food dishes. Excellent value -
The best white wines of Spain are made of Godello from the region Valdeorras in Galicia. More and more this wine is can be seen in many wine lists across Ireland as its increasing popularity is par to the Albarino from Rias baixas or the Rueda's Verdejo. Rafael Palacios the maker of this wine comes from something of a winemaking dynasty. His father, uncle and brother are all highly regarded winemakers across Rioja, Priorat and other parts of the country. Rafael himself cut his teeth working on his father's Rioja estate, prior to training and working in Bordeaux and Coonawarra, South Australia. Rafa started this project in 2004 in the then little known region of Valdeorras, home of a few ancient plots of Godello vines. This grape variety was virtually extinct in Spain but Rafa and a few others realised its potential and extensive replanting of the variety began. The Louro is crafted from younger vines but is selected from plots that produce more age-worthy wines. Fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in used foudre, Louro showcases Rafa’s talent at balancing the minerality of the grape with the richness and texture of the élevage. Pair it with baked whitefish, bluefish, fish and vegetables, grilled fish, grilled whitefish, pasta with fish, poultry, rice with fish, roasted fish, roasted foods. -
DO Monterrei is the smallest of the Galician DOs and the most recent, having been created in 1996. It is an emerging region located in the province of Ourense in the south-east of Galicia, on the border with Portugal. The Atlantic influence here is not as strong and the climate is hotter and more continental than the rest of Galicia, making it possible to produce impressive whites from Treixadura and Godello as well as reds from autochtonous Mencia. Most of the vineyards are located on the slopes lining the River Támega where the soil has a deep red colour with a high clay content. After spending many years working for other wineries in the area around Galicia, Manuel Guerra Justo decided to break away and set up his own adega, “Via Arxentea”, literally translated as “ The Silver Route”, the local name for the important pilgrimage route of El Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela. Manuel Guerra is a “Colleitero” and therefore responsible for the entire production cycle, from the care in the vineyard to the winemaking. He is the first to acknowledge that the secret to achieving purity and varietal expression in his wines is in his vineyard management which he attends to personally and pampers vine by vine as if they were his own children, with the sole objective of achieving maximum quality. Under the consultancy of well known winemaker, Alvaro Bueno, Manuel Guerra Justo owns four hectares around Verin, planted almost equally between Godello and Treixadura and a small batch of Mencia. Vía Arxentea wine are made from estate bottled fruit, harvested by hand and fermented using indigenous yeasts. -
Another under the radar Portuguese White. This drop is now considered one of the new best contemporanean whites in Portugal. Produced by Luis Seabra, who worked for more than 10 years as an oenologist for Dirk Niepoort and finally started to follow his own path in 2012. The name he gives to his wines is indicative of his vision of wine: Xisto (Schist). He makes very pure wines that reflect their terroir. Luis Seabra sets a new standard in the Douro with his pure wines. Xisto Ilimitado, is a Portuguese analogue of the idea of a "village-level" Burgundy. A blend of six varieties planted in three sub-areas of the Douro, Ilimitado is a glimpse of the appellation's schist soil. Luis Seabra, has concentrated his production on the different soil types of the valley. Bright, concentrated and fresh, Xisto Ilimitado is an excellent introduction to the new Douro. Vineyards located in Cima Corgo. The vines are between 30 and 45 years old, planted in micaceous schist at an altitude of 500 to 600 m, and are a sub-region that experiences extreme highs and lows in terms of temperature, with one of the largest day-night temperature deltas in Portugal. As such, the fruit experiences an extended resting period. Annual rainfall of 400 mm typical of the region. Goes wonderfully with roasted poultry, white fish and seafood, and especially with the spiciest preparations
