2018 Virgen del Galir Maruxa Godello Valdeorras DO Spain 750 ml

If you love white Burgundy or Albariño, prepare to be enchanted by this crisp, mineral-driven Godello, whose waves of pineapple and white peach are edged with savory notes of fennel, anise, and lemongrass. From one of the most talked-about regions in Spain, this 2018 Virgen del Galir Maruxa hails from the center of schist mining in Europe—the key to its powerful minerality.

“The wines smell and taste more like white Burgundies from Meursault or Chassagne-Montrachet than any other white wine made in Spain,” raves Wine Enthusiast. 

At some point in the future, we’ll probably look back longingly on the days when wines like this gorgeously aromatic Godello could be had for spectacular under-$20 values—especially with an impressive 92 points from James Suckling. 

Airdrop into verdant, damp Valdeorras and you might think you had landed in Cork County, Ireland. Rolling, lush hills sliced with rivers, high rainfall, a microclimate moderated by the Sil Valley—it looks nothing like the arid, dry Spain you might be imagining, and it’s ground zero for some of the country’s most exciting white wines.

Founded in 2002, Virgen del Galir is a relatively youthful winery in the region. The estate owns roughly 50 acres of land, much of it terraced vineyards of decomposed schist sitting at around 1,968 feet of elevation. For the Maruxa Godello, the grapes hail from plots in Éntoma, Regueirón, and Valdemioto and are hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel. Five months of aging on the lees give this bottle the luscious, rich texture that so often garners comparison to white Burgundy.

2018 has been called one of the best vintages of the last decade for northwest Spain, characterized by a dry summer and low yields, leading to high concentration and ripeness. Get ahead of the curve on this fantastic mineral white while it can still be had at an unstoppable $18.