One Spanish white grape I’ve written quite a bit about is Godello, a high quality grape from Galicia in northwestern Spain.  My all-time favorite Godello is As Sortes by Rafael Palacios, a wine I’ve rated and written about a couple of times.  Rafael Palacios is very passionate about Godello and determined to make world class wines out of the grape…something he’s already done.  Today’s wine is As Sortes little sister, Louro do Bolo, a delicious Godello that is much more approachable and also half the price!  I love the As Sortes, but it is so intense steely, and complex that it is not the friendliest wine before it gets some air.  The Louro do Bolo is much more round and aromatic from the beginning, albeit less complex.  It offers aromas of lees, pineapple and lemon in the nose, as well as a bit of smokiness and oak spice.  In the mouth it has all those aromas as well as really fresh acidity.  It’s a really great example of Godello at a really friendly price:  12€.  Read on for more details on Lour do Bolo 2007.

Christmas is over, but here in Spain, the holidays are just kicking off!  We still have two more weeks of festivities here!

Many people here in Spain dismiss whites for the holidays, relegating them to the hot days of summer, but actually whites can be the perfect pick for holiday meals.  The best whites for matching with a wide variety of holiday foods are not  oaky Chardonnays or even an intense, green Sauvignon Blancs.  For me the best whites are un-oaked (or little oaked) aromatic varieties such as Riesling or Albariño. 

 One at the best whites in Spain at an amazing price…see my previous article on the changing face of Spanish white wine. 

Wine:  As Sortes
Winery:  Rafael Palacios S.L.
Vintage: 2005
Denominacion de Origen (DO): Valdeorras
Alc: 14% (!)
Grape variety: 100% Godello
Additional factoids:  40-60 year old vines, vines all over 600 meters, micro-oxygenation techniques used
Oak regime:  fermentation and aging in large oak foudres, aged 6-8 months over lees
Price:  20-25 euros in Spain