Community Tasting Note

RajivAyyangar wrote:

Monday, April 6, 2015 - Monday night Blinds at Nopa - Take 3 (Nopa SF): Summary:
Pretty non-descript but perfectly nice with pleasant (if subdued) aromatics.
Score: Around 8.5
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Wine 1: served cold in a standard glass.
Visual
White wine. Clear, bright [I don’t know what day/star bright is. I’m calling it bright unless it’s super lusterous].
Pale straw with reflections of green [forgot to list concentration - it was low]
No gas or sediment.
M tears. [I’ve stopped caring much about this].

(tasted: dry)

Nose
Low intensity nose. Clean.
Light grapefruit, faint peach, faint reductive/wood/earth?
Light warm ripe peach.
This wine has low complexity, and is youthful.

Palate
Dry, light body, light plus alcohol.
Not very aromatic. A little unripe peach. No evidence of oak.
Medium acid - balance of malic and tartaric.
This wine is balanced, it is low in complexity, and the finish is moderate minus.

Initial Conclusions
This is a non-aromatic varietal, from a cool climate, in an Old World style.
It’s young - 1-3 years.
Possible varietals include:
Pinot Grigio (c.f. Gaiser: defined by what it’s not)
Pinot Gris / Pinot Blanc (too low in alcohol, no phenolic bitterness)
Albarino (Doesn’t fit aromatically)
Riesling (too low in acidity)
Chardonnay (could be chard - not a very distinguished chard. Maybe a village, unoaked Burgundy).
Gruner Veltliner (doesn’t fit aromatically. Probably would have higher alcohol and maybe acid).
[Forgot to do possible countries, but I was sort of thinking of those along with the varietals]

Final Conclusions
This is Pinot Grigio, from Italy - specifically Alto Adige, 2013 vintage. [Didn’t put quality down].

Actual:
2012 A. Coroa Godello
Spain - Galicia: Valdeorras DO
$20

Analysis:
I was pretty much on the right track.

LM commented that Albarino is close - Godello is often blended with Albarino. The aromatics don’t match though. Chardonnay was also good. Godello has more pear/orchard fruit like Chardonnay. Godello is pretty rare - might be on a Masters-level exam, but it’s pretty obscure.

Godello could be a lateral for unoaked Chard, pinot grigio, other unoaked, moderate-acidity, non-aromatic whites with no other defining characteristics (like higher alcohol or phenolic bitterness).

Notes from GuildSomm on Godello:
Valdeorras produces straight Godello for white, and Mencia for red.

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