Ronsel do Sil Vel’uveyra Godello 2023 (750ml)

85% Godello, 10% Treixadura, 5% Dona Branca
Fermentation French oak, Indigenous yeasts
Aging 6 months
Filter / Fining None, Natural bentonite
ABV 13.5%
Farming Methods Biodynamic (not certified)

The 2023 Ronsel do Sil Vel’uveyra Godello comes from some of the estate’s higher elevation steep vineyard sites that range from 25 to 50 years old. The grapes always are hand-harvested, and are a blend of 3 native varieties of Galicia: 85% Godello, 10% Treixadura, and 5% Dona Branca. Once brought to the cellar, the grapes are gently pressed and naturally ferment in both 300 and 600 liter French oak barrels, where they then rest (with no battonage) for 6 months before bottling. The aromatics are deep with not only fruity and citrus notes, but also lifted floral tones and hints of wild herbs. The wine is very full and creamy in the mouth, yet fresh and alive with white stone fruit, incredible acidity and with a long finish of nuts, crushed rock, and citrus fruits. 

Vel’uveyra is in old local dialect meaning ‘to gaze at the vineyard’ during the colorful harvest
The symmetric picture symbolizes grapes & their resolute philosophy to promote sustainable development 

Ronsel do Sil is situated in one of the world’s most extreme grape growing regions, the Ribeira Sacra DO of northwestern Spain. With vineyards planted throughout treacherously steep slopes (ranging from 300 to 700 meters above sea level), all pruning, maintenance, and harvest is carried out by hand on old terraces built by the ancient Romans called Bancales. Maria José Yravedra is an absolute visionary for the region, producing wines that not only show incredible varietal integrity, but she accomplishes this through natural farming and biodynamic principles, making around 45,000 bottles a year from their 10 hectare estate. Her philosophy is based on what she calls ‘heroic’ viticulture, reflecting a sincere balance with nature, through love and compromise with the land. Aside from composting each year with gorse (the last harvest’s prunings and remains), sheep graze the vineyards once a year to add their natural flare and keep excess plants at bay. In the cellar, an absolutely minimal approach is the secret to each perfect bottling, with a gravity flow system instead of pumps, all old wood and concrete use for aging, and very little sulfur additions, letting the native grapes of the area tell their individual story.

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