Godello, Bodegas Avancia

pear │ waxy │ saline

Think orchard stroll: pear and golden apple upfront, with a waxy, almost lanolin edge that gives it a little gravitas. There’s a salty snap on the finish that reminds you Valdeorras is closer to the Atlantic than you think. Rounded texture, crisp bite — kind of like biting into a perfectly chilled pear. Mostly aged in stainless to keep things lifted, with a touch of large neutral oak for creaminess. No heavy barrel tricks — just a balance of fruit purity and gentle polish.

2021 was a cooler year in Valdeorras, which means Godello leans into freshness rather than weight. That translates to sharper citrus and less overt ripeness — a style that really highlights the grape’s mineral side.

Avancia is part of the Jorge Ordóñez portfolio and one of the early champions of Godello in the U.S. market. Old vines planted on steep, schist soils — not an easy harvest, but worth it for that concentration.

Godello almost went extinct in the 1970s. Today it’s Spain’s ‘comeback kid’ white grape, sometimes called Galicia’s answer to white Burgundy.