Periodically, we receive samples of some of their client’s wares from the public relations and brand marketing agency, Donna White Communications. The wines are always good, and come from diverse growing regions from around the world. The latest offerings are from a Spanish producer that I was vaguely aware of previously, but have never actually tried. These two selections also gave us the opportunity to taste some things from an appellation we have had very little exposure to, Bierzo, located in the province of Castilla y Leon. I’ve not posted any notes from this region until now, but Canadian Zinfan has once or twice, the most recent being back in 2015.

Bodegas Godelia is apparently a relatively new operation, owned by one Vicente Garcia Vazquez. There are 35 hectares of estate vineyards, and another 15 hectares farmed under contract, some as old as 100 years. According to Europvin, their importer, “All picking is by hand, loaded into small plastic crates and then chilled 24-48 hours at -5°C in a reefer container. This causes them to split and begin maceration on the skins.

The white grapes are gently pressed while still semi-frozen, and then settled off the gross lees. Fermentation in stainless steel. The Blanco remains in tank on the fine lees (with lees stirring) for 5 months before bottling. The Tinto spends 12 months in 400 and 500 litre oak casks (90% French, 10% American, 1/3 new oak.”

2015 Bodegas Godelia Blanco Bierzo, 80% Godello, 20% Doña Blanca, 13.5% alc., $17 SRP: Clean, medium color, with a little lemony citrus on the nose at first; no lightweight by any means, this shows good depth and intensity on the palate, with mineral driven lemon-lime-citrus flavors. Medium-full bodied and somewhat thick in texture, with zippy acids and good length, this is really to our liking; it’s a seafood friendly kind o’ white, and a excellent choice as the weather warms going into the summer. Sourced from 10-40 year old Godello vines and very old vine (60-80 years) Doña Blanca. Find this wine

2012 Bodegas Godelia Bierzo, 100% Mencia, 14.5% alc., $19 SRP: Good dark color here, with an earthy, slightly herbaceous nose. Rich and intense on the palate, where flavors echo and expand on the aromatic promises, with a lot of dark berry at the core. The earth and herb (no, not THAT kind of herb!) set the tone to the wine’s character, and a subtle note of iodine emerges on the finish, somewhat reminiscent of a northern Rhône Syrah. Full bodied, with a good tannin/acid backbone and good length on the finish, with the stuffing to benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar, if not more. Find this wine

Both of these wines evoke a strong “sense of place.” When Kim says she likes to taste dirt in her wine, these are the kinds that she’s talking about, and I mean that in the kindest possible way. The winemaking is thoroughly modern, but these are anything but “international styled wines,” which is why we like them so well. I ran across a lone bottle of the red a few days ago at an area retailer, and didn’t hesitate to grab it and bring it home. I’ll do the same with any others that I may happen to run run across in coming weeks and months, and, when you think about it, isn’t that the best possible recommendation I can give?

Reporting from Day-twah,

Bastardo

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