The Godello Grape

(Synonyms: Agodello, Agodenho, Agudanho, Agudelha, Agudelho, Agudello, Agudelo, Agudenho, Berdello, Godelho, Godella, Godenho, Gouvelo, Ojo de Gallo, Prieto Picudo Blanco, Trincadente, Verdelho, Verdello do Dão)

Background

Godello is a white-wine grape originating in the northwest of Spain, probably from the province of Galicia (just north of Portugal); it is said to reach its acme in the small Valdeorras appellation within Galicia, and does not seem to be grown much elsewhere (though it may be that some Portugese plantings under another name are also really Godello).

Godello is another modern “rescue project”: by the 1970s, the grape was nearly extinct, but a couple of enthusiastic advocates brought it to world attention with striking renditions, and it is today a major player in Spain and, increasingly, on the world stage. Godello is now one of Spain’s two premier white wines, sitting beside Albariño in that capacity.

Because it is still a developing effort, the wines can be found in quite a variety of styles (not unlike Chardonnay, to which some compare it). One key difference in styles (again as with Chardonnay) is the presence or absence of oak in the vinification: steel-tank Godellos tend to have, as one writer puts it, “a fresher, livelier quality”, with more minerality and forward fruit; oak-aged Godellos tend, in that same critic's words, to be “richer, fuller wines”, often with the “creamy” quality that comes of lees contact. The difference may be more a matter of personal taste than of better/worse, though not a few wine writers have expressed a clear preference for the unoaked versions (though others much prefer the oak). One regional winemaker remarked that he, too, prefers the unoaked style, but also makes an oaked version just for the American market. So.

The essence of Godello (or at least unoaked Godello) seems to be minerality and acidity, but the extra that distinguished it from many other serviceable varieties with those qualities is a richness of fruit and wildflower flavors and a somewhat denser body than the usual all-mineral white wine.

Note that Godello is sometimes confused with Verdelho, which is a different grape, but was (and is) a name sometimes used for Godello, and also the Portugese Gouveio, because Gouveio was often used as a name for true Verdelho (yes, the world is a funny old place).

Factoid: Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century, described a widely grown Spanish grape that may well have been Godello.

Some Descriptions of Godello Wines

Eric Asimov, The New York Times
“The wines, sometimes made solely of godello, other times blended with local grapes like treixadura and albariño, remind me of chardonnay, at least in the sense that the godello grape is versatile and somewhat neutral, greatly reflecting in its aromas and flavors the methods of the winemaker. What’s less clear is whether godello, like chardonnay, excels at conveying subtle but profound differences in terroir, that scary French word that simply refers to specific combinations of soil, climate, altitude and exposition that characterize the site in which grapes are grown, along with the human involvement. Some people have already made up their minds about godello. Gerry Dawes, who has been writing about Spanish wines for decades and who recently went into the importing business, has called godello ‘Spain’s emerging hope as an equivalent to the great white Burgundies.’ Others aren’t so sure.”
Jancis Robinson
“The more I taste this north-west Spanish white wine variety, the more I love it…[It] combines the structure of white burgundy with the finesse of a juicily mineral grape. . . Godello is a variety that is well capable of making wines that improve with age.”
Pamela S. Busch, San Francisco Examiner
“Though not as effusively aromatic as albarino, the most popular grape from this part of the world, godello has more body and richness and is often marked with yellow apple fruit, sometimes apple skin. It is a sponge for the minerals in soil, which are generally alluvial in Galicia. In Monterrei on the Portuguese border, the days are slightly warmer than in other parts of the region, usually softening the acidity a bit. Valdeorras has slate, often giving the wines a more delicate and sometimes angular texture. Godello is also found in Bierzo, the most western appellation of Castilla y Leon northwest of Madrid. Sometimes oak is used, but as a rule, wood treatment is kept to a minimum or avoided, as it can easily mask nuances of the grape and terroir. As godello has more body than albarino, it is often a better wine at this time of year to match with the heavier winter cuisine.”
Financial Times
“These are dry, dense wines that have both fruit and acidity and can improve in bottle for many years…My only criticism is that all these wines are very good and differ less in quality than in price – but that could easily be said to be a plus point.”
approach guides, wine
“Godello-based wines have the big fruit, mineral notes and acidity of albariño (peaches, citrus, apple), but with a bit more body and slightly higher alcohol. While Galicia’s star albariño grape has become increasingly well known internationally, godello continues to fall below most consumers’ radar screens; this has served to make godellos excellent values. The best are from Galicia’s Valdeorras and Monterrei DOs and Castilla y León’s Bierzo DO, although quality offerings can also be found in Galicia’s Ribeira Sacra and Ribeiro DOs.”
Don Rockwell, The Washingtonian
“Godello is the native white-wine grape of Valdeorras, one of five Galician Denominaciónes de Origen…The Atlantic Ocean influences the climate, but Valdeorras is 100 miles inland, and the terrain is mountainous, inhospitable to growing almost anything but grapevines, whose roots burrow deep into the rock-hard ground, clinging to the steep slopes and leaching minerals from the slate-based soil. The stresses created by this harsh landscape give Godello from Valdeorras its distinctive character. The minerals are what you’ll taste in a glass of great Godello—a delicate middleweight with fresh lemon and wildflowers in the bouquet and a long, bracing finish. A great Godello combines the minerality of a great Chablis with the acidic snap of a Sauvignon Blanc—it comes at you quietly, with elegance and persistence. Although most Godello is vinified in stainless-steel tanks—the Galicians like it full of pure and uncorrupted fruit—be aware of a potential problem: Some producers are fermenting Godello in new oak barricas, which impart an ugly, wooden taste to the wine.”
Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, The Wall Street Journal
“This is a wine that’s fairly difficult to describe because it has such fascinating complexity. Its very fragrant nose can smell something like Champagne, with lemon and chalk. In the front of the mouth, it's light and lively and can even have a little bit of a spritz. It seems like a pleasant, fun little white. But suddenly, in the middle of the mouth, the wine gains some weight and actually reminds us a bit of Viognier, the big Rhône white. Its fruit notes are of the more subtle variety, like apple and pear. Then it finishes light and clean, with a nice little grapefruit kick, once again giving the impression of lightness. In other words, it’s a versatile white that, as it happens, can stand up to spice and also pair well with lighter seafood. Fascinating – and delicious.”
Michael Schachner, Wine Enthusiast
“Godello can be made in a minerally, slate-infused style that emphasizes crisp acidity and vivid citrus flavors (think Chablis). However, it’s the fruit harvested later in the season and fermented and aged in large oak barrels that’s potentially amazing. When Godello is done like this (the master of this style is Rafael Palacios, younger brother of famed winemaker Alvaro Palacios), the wines smell and taste more like white Burgundies from Meursault or Chassagne-Montrachet than any other white wine made in Spain.”

Some Godellos to Try

For a Splurge

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