Adega O Cabalin, a Hidden Gem in the Valley of Gold

In October of 2024, I had an opportunity to go on a Wine Scholar Guild Education trip to Galicia.

I came into the trip with about the same knowledge as someone buying an Albariño at a grocery store, with some awareness of the region but no proper context.

I came out of the experience altered.

The trip pushed me to launch Between 2 Worlds Selections, as I discovered for myself a little cold corner of Spain; on the tip of the wine-lover’s tongue but still far from the heart.

I particularly recall a “tunnel tasting” I had in Valdeorras (romantically termed “Valley of Gold, though historically named after the ancient tribe inhabiting it), where the local Consejo presented us with a veritable smorgasbord of the DO’s wines.  After tasting each of the 33 offerings, a fun but fatiguing task, one wine stood out head and shoulders above, the only one that can be considered, in my view, truly “world class.”

That wine was Adega O Cabalin’s “A Espedrada” Godello. The combination of laser-focused acidity, extensive unobtrusive rocky minerality, and a beautiful concentration of citrus and orchard fruit completely astounded me, and I quickly noted five hastily scribbled star marks next to the bottle on the pamphlet. 

Pic: Highlight of the tunnel tasting.

When it came time to return to Galicia and select a producer for import, I only had one place I knew I had to visit: Teresa Lopez Fidalgo’s Adega O Cabalin, in Villamartin de Valdeorras

The Journey

I set off on a cold November morning from my Airbnb in Vigo and journeyed 2 hours inland to arrive at the tiny, wooden-gated cellar of O Cabalin. Parking on a steep incline on the outskirts of town, upon disembarking, I was greeted by the chilly November air, a typical Valdeorras sun peering through the clouds, and the raucous barking of a neighborhood dog. I would look up and see houses planted on terraces, much like the vines in the region. Below and not too far was the city of Villamartin de Valdeorras, majestic yet quiet. 

Meeting the Proprietors

The large cellar doors of O Cabalin were already open, and as one not confident in his surroundings, I wavered a little before entering.  I was greeted by Luis Peique, a silver-haired vigneron sporting a more- trimmed version of the famous Luis Perez beard. Soon, I was in their cellar, where I met Teresa. The two manage the majority of O Cabalin’s operations. Although the pair spoke only limited English, we managed to communicate passably with my intermediate Spanish, and the pair told me their story

The Story

O Cabalin is the project of Teresa Lopez Fidalgo, a native of Valdeorras, and Luis Peique, the 4th-generation winemaker in the not-too-distant Bierzo, who operates the family Bodegas Peique in Valtuille de Abajo.

The pair met in 2015 and connected over their shared passion for the region. Together, from 2015-2017, the two began purchasing small lots of land in a V-shaped Valley near the town of Carballeda.

The effort was difficult and presented many challenges, such as acquiring minuscule lots from various family members (reminiscent of the division in Burgundy) and chasing down uninterested owners.

But Teresa and Luis, whose passion for the region knew no bounds, persevered.  All together, they have managed to reclaim 3.5 hectares of land, planted to 100+ old vines.

The first O Cabalin vintage was in 2017, at a friend’s winery. However, in 2020, the pair renovated a property in Villamartin de Valdeorras and began vinifying their wines there.

In 2022, the area experienced a wave of fires, forcing Teresa and Luis to reduce production. Unfortunately, this was not a one-time concern; in 2025, Valdeorras was again impacted by fire.

I am reminded of this as I sit in O Cabalin’s marvelously designed panoramic-view tasting room and look out at a hill that would otherwise be autumn-gold but instead is covered by a veil of ash and soot.

From what I understand, the 2025 fires did not directly affect O Cabalin, and the vintage turned out to be a bumper crop with high-quality grapes. But the hill still served as a stark reminder that climate change is making viticulture even more difficult, even in a place where it is already challenging to grow grapes.

The Vines and the Wines

The Centenarian vines of O Cabalin, as well as the vineyard’s multi-directional facings, with aspects both North and South facing, create a fascinating diversity of terroirs at Teresa’s estate.   And the varieties that reflect this uniqueness are also authentic to Galicia, even if less discussed.

The Stunning Godello

For the estate’s singular white grape, Godello is the ideal choice, as it balances ripeness and freshness to perfection and further confirms the inherent excellence I felt when tasting that wine a year ago. At the property, the Godello vines are co-planted with the red varieties, interspersed throughout the vineyards. Despite the monovarietal nature of the Adega’s “ A Espedrada” Godello, it represents the diversity of O Cabalin’s microclimates, with plantings between 500-800 meters and all exposures featured. However, perhaps somewhat atypical of Valdeorras, the red wines reflect O Cabalin’s terroir diversity.

The Reds of O Cabalin

Although best known for Godello, Valdeorras is also home to some excellent red wines made from Mencia. And though Mencia is present in the vineyards and wines of O Cabalin, one can also find Brancellao, Merenzao (Trousseau), Souson, Ferron, and more planted sporadically through the vineyard.

This spectrum of grapes is further subdivided into Vinos de Parcela (single-plot wines) and Vinos de Finca (multi-plot estate wines).

 For instance, the affable and graceful “Peiron” (Vino de Finca), with 2023 as its inaugural vintage, brings together the fruitiness possible and is well balanced by herbaceous and mineral tones.

“O Cabalin”, Vino de Finca and the winery’s namesake, represents the 6 plots planted on the southern side of the Carbelleda valley, and is even more generous with notes of plum, violets, raspberries, and an undercurrent of sweet chocolate.

 “Villadequinta”, a Vino de Finca opposite to “O Cabalin” facing North/West, displays higher aromatic tones and a more brilliant, linear acidity.

 Finally, the two Vinos de Parcella, “Basocois” and “A Valigota”, can show us how even a small elevation swing can alter the wine’s character. Bascois is north-facing, at an altitude of 800 m, and displays a deep herbal character, bright acidity, and sapidity. “A Valigota”, a North-West-facing parcel, is slightly fleshier and fruitier, perhaps due to its Mencia content and its more favorable orientation.

As I tasted through these wines, I felt the distinct nature of O Cabalin’s terroir: rugged, deep, and complex, yet honed, crafted, and carefully shaped into wines of stunning precision.  

The Winemaking

And speaking of craft, one can truly appreciate stepping into O Cabalin’s cellar and spending time speaking with Luis Peique. His process is thoughtful, and he measures every step carefully.

There is nothing excessive in his winemaking; in fact, it is fairly simple to summarize:

• Use neutral 500L barriques (sometimes only 2-3 per wine), ferment using native yeast
• Allow for gentle extraction using hand punchdowns (literally, pressing the must with your palms)
• Have approximately 35% stem inclusion in the reds (no stems in white)
• Allow for a 30-40-day post-fermentation maceration
• And age the wine in the same barrels for 1-2 years, depending on the desired style.

This hands-on, micro-vinification approach keeps production incredibly low, approximately +/-8,500 bottles. But it is precisely this dogmatic approach that makes O Cabalin’s wines so special. Both Teresa and Luis agree that they do not wish to exceed 15,000 bottles. Anything beyond that number would compromise their autonomy and control over the wine’s quality.

A Vineyard Visit

After a lengthy tasting, Luis and Teresa were kind enough to take me to Carabelleda to walk the vineyards.

Out the car window, you could see the slate-shist and granite soils, interlaced by veins of quartz. An observant eye could even pick out a few shist mines in the valley below, as we climbed in elevation. Soon we were up in the vineyards, looking down at the River Casaio that flowed into the Sil. I was fortunate, November was the most beautiful time of the season to come see Valdeorras. After the harvest, the leaves change colors, taking on either a gold or red hue, depending on the vine. The co-planted vines in the O Cabalin vineyards made for an incredible peysage, a sporadic checkerboard of bright reds and golden yellows. I observed as Luis and Teresa looked over their vines, truly understanding the deep connection between the vigneron/onne and their land.

Viticultural Practices

It is no coincidence that O Cabalin’s viticultural views reflect those of the winery. Teresa and Luis practice sustainable, organic viticulture. In addition, they use natural methods to manage pests and diseases in the vineyard and to create a biosphere within the winery. The vineyards of O Cabalin are full of life, with a deep focus on polyculture (vines planted alongside chestnuts and other crops) and sustainability.  It is something you can taste in their wines, and it is why the pair can do the “bare minimum” in the cellar and still have wines of such complexity.

Vineyard Gallery

Conclusion

By the end of my visit, I had spent nearly a full day with Luis and Teresa. I had no doubt that O Cabalin was something special. O Cabalin is a wine that could stand out, even amongst some of the world’s best.

Teresa and Luis are crafting something truly spectacular in Villamartin de Valdeorras. I am proud to be a part of their story.