Bodegas Godeval Vina Godeval Cepas Vellas Godello 2014

In 1974 a group of viticulturists, in conjunction with the Agriculture Research Department of the Ministry of Agriculture in Spain, created the program Revival (Valdeorras Vineyards Restoration). Since the very first moment, Godello has been thought to be the best grape of the appellation. In 1985, two of the researchers, Horacio Fernandez and Jose Luis Bartolome, and other partners created Bodegas Godeval, releasing the first 100% Godello wine in Galicia. Bodegas Godeval is one of the first estate-bottled wineries in Galicia. This truly pioneering winery deserves respect for recovering this grape for Spanish winemaking, in an area in which wine has been made since the times of Roman occupation.

The winery is located in the surroundings of the 13th-century monastery of San Miguel of Xagoaza, in the mountains next to El Barco de Valdeorras, in the province of Orense (Galicia), in the northwest of Spain. They own 38.4 acres (16 ha) of Godello grapes, in different parcels on the hills surrounding the winery, with good exposure to midday sun. The vines are trellis trained. Average production is 6000 kg/ha, or 44 hectoliters per hectare, half of the local maximum allowed.

The vineyards are located on the mountain slopes, and are therefore in terraces. The composition of the soil is of metamorphic slate, although you could find granite in other vineyards of the appellation. Planted at 1,350-1,650 feet (450-550 m) above sea level. Bodegas Godeval was the first producer to plant on the mountain slopes in modern history. The climate is continental with a great Atlantic influence; approximately 40 inches of rain a year. The appellation is located on the banks of the Sil River, and in general, most of the vineyards have a north-to-south orientation.