The Galician company Bodegas Godeval produces their wines today with the same effort and commitment with which they began, 30 years ago, to recover the white variety godello, under the Valdeorras Apellation. At its facilities, located in the historic setting of Xagoaza (O Barco), began their recovery godello variety project in the 80s, using part of Monastery of Xagoaza, a medieval building, as a winery and planting own vineyards, to control everything in the wine process and follow the idea of “that wine is made in the vineyard”. Over time and for continue coveringtheir customer demands, they increased its plantations and also the facilities. The new winery has been designed to become a viewpoint to the valley, which combines tradition and modernity.

The winery has been expanding its plantations over the years but always following the same philosophy of looking for slate soils with slopes and south orientation. First vineyards were planted between the 70s and 80s by the founders of the winery, on the slopes with steeper features of the region in the area of Xagoaza. The average age of the vine plants is above 15 years. A good part of the vineyards are oriented towards the South, thus ensuring the sunstroke that leads to a perfect maturation. The inclination of the ground and the slaty floor guarantee a good ventilation and health of the grapes. From the first vineyards planted on plots such as “Liebres” and “Pancho” wines are made with very special characteristics such as the Godeval Cepas Vellas and the Godeval Revival.

Vineyards

The soil in which the vines are located comes from Ordovacicas slates. It is a substrate as characteristic as suitable, because it retains little water, facilitating drainage, and therefore stimulating a great development of the root system in depth. The dark tones of these soils work out well the absorption of solar radiation, and accumulate a heat that is released at night, propitiating a proper ripening of the fruit and sometimes producing mists that are beneficial.

All these properties provide an excellent development of the vine and, in short, allow to obtain wines of great complexity and high expression.

Vinification

Grapes undergo a cool maceration is for 10-15 days to extract aromas and colour. The must ferments with the skins for about 7 days, and during fermentation the wine is over-pumped, to aerate and soften the wine. It is then aged for 4 months in new 225 litre French oak casks.

Tasting Notes

Green tinge colour with nacreous glints. It possesses an excellent and powerful bouquet. It is deep, elegant and reminiscent of beeswax, wild flowers & orchard fruits such as green apple and pear. On the palate it is light, soft and pleasant with a refreshing salinity and a touch of anise. The sharp and sweet touch of this wine makes it very personal and balanced, with a marked structure.

Great with prawns or langoustines. Stands up nicely to a touch of chilli so works well with Gambas Pil Pil. Bacon and piquillo peppers or a chunk of aged Manchego cheese.