ABOUT: You may be familiar with the name Palacios in Rioja, now add Valdeorras and Godello to Rafa Palacios index card in your mind. Valdeorras is a region in Galicia in Northwestern Spain and is where Rafa Palacios has taken on the task of creating exciting white wines made from Godello. He started this project in the early 2000’s and now has about 25 hectares of vines in the municipality of O Bolo, close to the Bibei river on the western edge of the appellation. These hectares are steep, also at high elevation and made up mostly of crumbly granite. As with his vines in Rioja, organic and biodynamic methods are in full swing. Godello is notoriously tricky to grow well, it can tip over to the flabby and tropical zone quickly, and doesn’t make a good wine when picked early. Rafa has a good touch and this wine right here is a great example of Godello with some age. It’s beautiful. TASTE: The Bodegas Rafael Palacios Bolo Godello 2015 was fermented using indigenous yeasts and aged on its lees for four months before bottling. The aromas and flavors are bright, salty and developing. Flavors of lemons, pineapples, and peaches, some pickle brine, jasmine and citrus peel. Pretty bouncy with a nice high tick of acidity, very fresh for having a few years under the hood. The finish is long and there’s a bit of complexity here. An excellent example of a well developing Godello, the wine all Chardonnay fans should take a look at. PAIR: Stuffed shells with Taleggio, spring pea risotto, Pad Pak Thai, carrot and red lentil soup, deviled eggs with pickled ramps, and stir fried vegetables with roasted cashews.
