One of the things we’re most proud of at SommSelect is that our subscribers never have to settle for generic, bulk-branded wines in the $20-ish range. Lately, in fact, this price point has been our wheelhouse, be it a transcendent red from Sicily’s Mount Etna; a single-vineyard Riesling from Germany; or another thriller from one of our regions-of-the-moment: Galicia, Spain.
Today’s wine is from a place, and a grape, that every white wine lover needs to know, especially if you’re a fan of focused, mineral wines such as Chablis. Crafted from Galicia’s native Godello (go-DAY-yo) grape, today’s vibrant “Cuvée De O” from Bodegas Avancia is a revelation at this price: structured, persistent, aromatic, and downright electric. Although it would make a superb summer wine, I wouldn’t dare place it in the “quaffer” category. It is much more than that, so please, don’t settle for whatever white’s in the “end-cap” display at the supermarket. Life’s too short, and as we’ve shown, distinctive wines like this one are around every corner, waiting to be discovered.
One person we can thank for that is Jorge Ordóñez, a successful wine broker who’s done perhaps more than anyone over the last 20 years to popularize traditional Spanish wines in the US. In addition to his extensive import portfolio, Ordóñez is involved directly in several winery projects, including Bodegas Avancia, which he founded in 2007 with the expressed goal of advancing the cause of the Godello grape. Structured like Chardonnay, with a similarly semi-aromatic personality and a capacity for mineral expression, Godello isn’t as talked-about in wine circles as Albariño, but Ordónez is convinced it should be. And he’s not the only one.
Having seen Galician wine country firsthand, I can tell you this: It is a must-see for anyone who appreciates extreme viticulture. Valdeorras, just east of Ribeira Sacra, hugs the north bank of the Sil River, with vineyards at some of the steepest, seemingly impassable pitches you’ll ever see. Translating roughly as “valley of gold,” the region is so named for the gold mining once carried out by the Romans when they inhabited the area (these days, slate mining is more common). Avancia is one of the more notable examples of the return of serious viticulture to the area, which, like many other Galician regions, had been neglected due to the incredible difficulty of the work. Avancia is blessed with some of the region’s heritage vines, including a parcel of Godello first planted in 1940, one of two vineyards providing the source material for today’s “Cuvée De O.”
The Godello for today’s shimmering 2016 was hand-harvested and fermented on indigenous yeasts in a combination of used French oak puncheons (about 20%) and stainless steel tanks. The wine spent about eight months on its lees in its respective fermentation vessels, receiving occasional
bâtonnage (lees-stirring) before bottling. If you were blind-tasting this wine, high-quality village Chablis would be a very good guess, although the aromatics here are a touch more floral. In the glass, “Cuvée De O” is a luminous straw-gold with flecks of silver and green, with aromas of green and yellow apple, lime blossom, stone fruits, white flowers, wet stones, and, yes, a touch of oyster shell minerality. Medium-bodied and mouthwateringly racy, this wine will surprise you with its depth and persistence—this isn’t some ‘salty rinse,’ although it will most definitely make a great partner for all types of seafood. While Valdeorras is situated in a mountainous river valley, it still feels an Atlantic influence, and this wine will sing with the kinds of dishes you’d find in Galician seaside towns. Albariño’s great, too, but get to know Godello—it will not disappoint!
