A Espedrada 2020: Sold out in the winery! Complexity on the nose and a startling transition from nose to mouth

• Origin: Carballeda de Valdeorras
• Grape variety: 100% Godello grapes planted between 1919 and 1929
• Wine-making: Grapes are handpicked and transported in small 16 kg boxes. The bunches are crushed and partially destemmed. Maceration takes place in contact with the skins in stainless steel tanks for 48 hours. Fermentation is carried out in 500 l oak barrels
• Ageing: It rests in the same barrels and in contact with its lees for a 12 month period
• ABV: 12,5º

The grapes come from over a hundred-year-old vineyards from different plots, where white and red varieties were randomly planted, on very steep hills of slate soils

Our view

It presents a very clean light-golden yellow colour, very shiny.

The nose is of moderate aromatic intensity featuring delicious scents of ripe white fruit (pear), refreshed by citric sparks of grapefruit. They are followed by fine and aromatic herbal fragrances of sage and tarragon, and a mellow touch of apricot and peach in syrup. This first aromatic approach concludes with the flowery scents of jasmine and orange blossom, very perfumed and fresh.

Its balsamic profile becomes more intense with the addition of mineral touches of white stone. Quietly and gradually, the slight creaminess of the fine lees arises, in balanced contrast with the power of green olives and their tasty bitter notes.

The oak is seamlessly integrated into the mouth, with just the right amount of vanilla flavour and icing sugar. You can feel a very slight touch of liqueur -like you find in a baba cake- that quickly disappears as you swirl the glass, and precisely then the fruit comes up, seasoned with touches of hay and fennel. This fruit is now more intense though, more like baked apples rather than fresh ones, nearly caramelized, and bringing a faint memory of fine leather. A slightly oxidative finish provides even more elegance to the mouth.

Throughout the tasting it maintains a very smooth touch, with a creaminess that makes it supple and round, contrasting with a determined gracility as it never feels oily neither heavy. A very interesting evolution into a more spiced, umami character, should be noted.

Of considerable structure, it runs through your mouth with a steady pace. A medium-long aftertaste gives way to an unexpected sweet and sour finish. The transition from the nose to the mouth is startling and impressive, and its acidity, very clean.