2021 GODELLO, Benito Santos. Monterrei, Spain

100% Godello, fermented cool and aged for 3 months on its lees before bottling.

From UK agent Thorman Hunt:
“Benito Santos was a central figure in the modern history of Albariño and the Rias Baixas DO. He began working in his grandfather’s vineyards in the 1930’s making wine for his bar. In the 1960’s he repeatedly won prizes in the Annual Fiesta de Albarino in Cambados and was was instrumental in the creation of the DO in the 1980’s. The winery was built in 1979. He is buried nearby in the grounds of the Monastery of Calago in Arousa.
Current winemaker Jose Antonio Porto concurs and carries on the tradition. Vines are trained on the traditional trellis and are picked by hand in small trays. Winemaking uses only natural yeasts and minimal sulphur.
In 1995, they leased 8 hectares in Monterrei to the east, planted since Roman times. Situated on the Tamega river, a tributary of the Douro, south of Ourense. The climate is more continental here.”

Galicia is rightly famous for Albariño. But in my opinion Godello is the region’s best grape variety (perhaps the best in Spain). Wines like this (or the Louro do Bolo in the full-bodied section) have the salty, seafood-friendly freshness appropriate to the area, but with an added layer of texture and subtle concentration.