Regions and Varietals: Bizkaiko Txakolina
D.O. Bizkaiko Txakolina
Pais Vasco, Basque region of North Central Spain
I find the Pais Vasco (Basque region) located in north central Spain intrinsically fascinating – the people are ancient and fiercely independent, the language, with its frequent employment of “X”, a letter woefully underrepresented in English, exotic. The region’s signature Txakoli is equally exciting, but who knew they also make a Txakoli Rosado?
Txakoli (pronounced “Choco-lee”) is produced in three main regions: D.O. Getariako Txakolina, D.O. Bizkaiko Txakolina, and D.O. Aarrabacao Texkolina. (Try to say these names three times fast.) Txakolis are typically white, slightly effervescent, and brightly acidic – perfectly taken as an aperitif or as an accompaniment for a picnic or meal enjoyed outside on a hot, humid day. White Txakoli is made from the Hondaribbi zuri grape; the more difficult to come by red Txakolis are produced from Hondaribbi Beltza, as are the even less common Txakoli rosados.
Hondaribbi Beltza grows in Bizkaiko Txakolina, a region that faces the Bay of Biscay. The terrain here is rugged and varied: sharp mountains, twisting rivers, and the proximity to the ocean create various microclimates that lead to drastic differences in the wines produced from one vineyard to the next. The Gurrutxaga vineyard, which produces the Txakoli Rosado that gave its life in the making of this article, is situated on some seven hectares of mountainside that slope to the ocean. Apparently, this Txakoli came together at the last minute – 2007 was very cold and wet, and the grapes didn’t mature until the final two-weeks of the growing cycle, which heralded a “glorious period of sun.” I already thought this wine was special – learning that it literally almost never came to fruition makes me feel like a little kid at Christmas each time I open a bottle.
Gurrutxaga’s Txakoli Rosado has subtle aromas of grapefruit, dried apricots and a light saltiness akin to an ocean breeze. The first sip wakes the mouth right up with bracing acidity followed by a brittle quality and slight effervescence that are the hallmarks of Txakoli. It’s not a shy wine, filled with bright, not-quite-developed fruit flavors that give way almost immediately to minerality and mouthwatering acidity. As such it feels like a bold, rebellious teenager of a wine, but it’s a good kid – great for a laugh and always up for a party. You’ll want to keep it on hand for summer festivities and really hot days when drinking anything complex or buttery will just make you sweat.
Gurrutxaga Txakoli Rosado, Hondaribbi Beltza, Bizkaiko Txakolina, Retails $20
For more information about the Bizkaiko Txakolina region check out this site.
