Adega O Casal Novo Valdorreas Godello 2010

The 2010 Casal Novo Godello is a mere infant. Yet, it has already begun to blossom, offering a bright straw colored robe, tantalizing aromatics, and plenty of flavors in a balanced, harmonious format. Clean and focused in its bouquet, the 2010 Casal Novo offers up savory scents of lemon zest, white fruits, and spice along with a subtle minerality that lends vibrancy and adds to the wine’s overall sensual appeal. Casal Novo’s vivacity continues on the palate, where white peach, melon, and subtle spice tones spread their welcome. All this goodness adds up to a delightfully fragrant, fairly intense glass of white wine with a lengthy finish and tremendous palate appeal. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest serving Casal Novo’s 2010 Godello moderately chilled (40º-45º F).

In many ways Casal Novo’s 2010 Godello resembles fine white Burgundy, a hypothetical blend of Premier Cru Chablis and village Puligny-Montrachet in particular, but such comparisons rarely do a wine justice. However, it is clear that Casal Novo’s 2010 Godello can hold its own with the aforementioned French wines, especially when it comes to accompanying seafood, roast chicken, hearty salads, and creamy pasta dishes. It also makes for a splendid aperitif. A roasted chicken with butter and herbs will showcase Godello’s many attributes, as will flavor-filled chicken salads, prepared with grapes, walnuts, and rosemary. A supreme seafood salad, prepared with scallops, shrimp, crab, tuna, crunchy red and yellow bell peppers and a zesty mayonnaise provide a tasty treat with the 2010 Casal Novo Godello, too. Sea scallops, seared lightly and then sautéed with white wine, lemon juice, butter, parsley, and fresh Mediterranean herbs, offer another superb accompaniment to Godello, especially when served over creamy angel hair pasta infused with Parmesan cheese. Seafood paellas and classic fish stews such as Cioppino pair nicely with this wine as well. Crispy apple and pear slices paired with a variety of creamy, cow’s milk cheeses won’t disappoint this Godello, either. Enjoy!

Adega O Casal Novo lay tucked away above the tiny village of Rubia in the northeast corner of Spain’s cool, green province of Galicia. Casal Novo is a relative newcomer to Valdorreas, Galicia’s premier appellation for Spain’s indigenous Godello and Mencia varietals. Founded only in 2000 by five partners whose families held high elevation vineyards, Casal Novo has quickly become a benchmark producer of both Godello and Mencia. With less than 15 acres of vineyards and a total dedication to quality, Casal Novo qualifies as a true boutique venture. Yields are kept dramatically low and no herbicides or systemic herbicides are used in Casal Novo’s vineyards, which allow the estate’s grapes to express their full varietal character and reflect the unique terroir of Valdorreas.

Godello is a white grape variety that is indigenous to northwest Spain. It can also be found in northern Portugal where it is known as Gouveio. However, it is in Galicia, Spain’s cool northwestern province that sits beside a rugged Atlantic coast, that Godello reaches its full perfection. The finest examples of Godello emanate from the Valdeorras appellation. Brought back from near extinction in the past thirty years, Godello has reclaimed its traditional standing as one of Spain’s three exceptional white grape varietals (Albariño and Verdejo being the other two stars) with a total plantation of nearly 3,000 acres. Godello, like many other grape varieties, is known by a litany of names. It has more than a dozen synonyms, including Agodello, Berdello, Godella, Ojo de Gallo, Trincadente, and Verdello. Yet, no matter the synonym, Godello requires a cool climate and thin, slate soils to thrive. Typically fresh, aromatic, and terroir-driven Godello rarely sees ageing in oak barrels, and for that it is all the better. Nevertheless, it is capable of ageing for many years in the bottle, not unlike the finest examples of Chardonnay and Riesling. Elegance, freshness, and purity set into full, complex, mineral rich flavors are Godello’s calling cards.