Valdesil Pezas da Portela 2018

This 100% Godello comes from 11 parcels of old vines rooted in the slate slopes of Portela. These parcels, or ‘pezas’, form part of the Gayoso family’s original holdings and all were planted by José Ramón Gayoso's sons in the early 1900s using massale selection cuttings from the Pedrouzos vineyard. All these vineyard parcels overlook the River Sil at an average altitude of 500 metres. The juice saw around 12 hours of skin contact before natural fermentation in a variety of oak vessels, predominantly 600-litre (third or fourth use) and 2,000-litre vats. No ‘malo’. There’s a core of fleshy, tangy orchard fruit, complemented by subtly floral, resinous and smoky complexity. Try not to serve this too cold and if possible serve it in a big glass – with air each sip takes on more creamy, nutty depth and mineral energy. A superb white that fans out across the palate.