From: D.O. Valdeorras, Galicia, Spain
Varietal: Godello
Taste: Frank, delicious, and easy to drink! Notes of lemon, grapefruit, fresh winter melon, apricot, and a hint of jasmine meet a gentle savory undertone and a flinty minerality that makes this wine extra versatile, with or without food.
“Sur lie aging and used large-format barrel fermentation impart a texture and complexity to Cuvée de O that sets it apart from other young Godellos.”
“The 2021 Avancia Cuvée de O Godello is a beautiful, straightforward and pleasing white wine. This wine delivers aromas and flavors of mineral notes, dried earth, stone fruit, and chalkiness. Serve it with a bowl of steamed clams in a garlicky broth.” —Wilfred Wong of Wine, 89 points (August 2022)
Pairing: Galician cuisine is the perfect place to look for pairing inspiration here. Common Galician seafood dishes like “Pulpo á feira,” a simple octopus dish sprinkled with paprika, olive oil, and salt, a “Mariscada” (seafood platter), and sardines would pair beautifully with this wine. One of our favorite week-night meals revolves around dressing up some tinned fish and eating it with bread and a fresh salad (we’ve included a variation below). Other pairing ideas include serving this alongside pasta zested with lemon or drizzled in high-quality olive oil, roasted chicken over salad, fish tacos, and grilled or baked white fish like cod or halibut.
Spinach and Sardine Sandwich
By Martha Rose Shulman
About. Many thanks to Jorge Ordóñez Selections for the following information.
D.O. Valdeorras is the most inland Galician winemaking region, and one that was almost forgotten to history until a rediscovery in the 1980’s. A rainy, sleepy valley formed by the Sil River as it meanders and cuts its way through the slate rich mountains, Valdeorras is a region with a rich history that dates back to the Roman times. Named for gold mining during Roman times (Val-de-Orras in Latin roughly translates to Valley-of-Gold), after the supply of gold in the mountains was exhausted they turned to viticulture as the main economic industry.
Godello and Mencía, Valdeorras’ most important indigenous varieties, were absolutely wiped out by the phylloxera plague at the end of the 19th century, and unfortunately, most of the vineyards were replanted with Palomino, a cheaper neutral grape that was widely available. Godello production was lost to history, and the variety was almost extinct at the end of the 1980’s, when it was revived by a few select producers. Jorge Ordóñez was the first person to introduce Godello into the United States, as he was intrigued by the potential and complexity of this esoteric grape. It has become very popular, but producing high quality Godello remains one of Spain’s biggest viticultural challenges.
There is simply a lack of high quality Godello vineyards, as most are very young and were planted at the earliest around 30 years ago. There are however, a select few ancient vineyards planted at the turn of the century that until recently were mostly family owned and used to make wine for local bars. Bodegas Avancia is one of the only producers in Valdeorras who works with these century old vineyards, and one of the only producers that truly uses 100% Godello in its white wines. Due to the scarcity of Godello, many producers blend Palomino and Treixadura, grapes that are not indigenous to Valdeorras, into their white wines. Bodegas Avancia champions authentic viticulture and winemaking in Valdeorras by exclusively using very old head trained vineyards, avoiding young vines planted on trellis.
This wine comes from grapesO Barco de Valdeorras, Vilamartín de Valdeorras, A Rúa, and Petín, in the Valley of Valdeorras, Province of Ourense, in the Northeast of the D.O.
This wine comes from old, head-trained vineyards planted between 1972 and 2000 on the southern bank of the River Sil in the northeast part of the D.O. This area sees very cold winters and hot summers, and the vines face to the northeast, which shields them from receiving the most direct sunlight to help ensure that they don’t ripen too quickly in the summer. The soils here are made up of black slate intermixed with quartz that has a sandy texture, schist intermixed with red clay, and sandy soils of granitic origin. Bodegas Avancia practices traditional dry-farmed, organic viticulture and cultivates entirely by hand.
When the bunches arrive in the winery, they’re sorted and chilled for 24 hours in a cool chamber to prevent oxidation and minimize SO2 required at the press. Bunches are partially destemmed (but not crushed) and partially maintained whole for the press, which is carried out in a horizontal pneumatic press. The must undergoes a static settling before being inoculated with a pied de cuve started with neutral yeast. Fermentation is carried out 65% in stainless steel and 35% in puncheons and demi-muids (500L & 600L) that are up to 14 years old. Malolactic fermentation is blocked, and the wine ages on its lees for at least eight months, 65% in stainless steel tank and 35% in neutral puncheon and demi-muids (500L & 600L barrels).
