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Txakoli Aguirrebeko
Txakoli Aguirrebeko is an estate-bottled wine made by Bodegas Berroja in the Txakoli de Bizkaia DO. Txakoli wines have a slightly “spritzy” effervescent character, complex aromas and depth of flavor on the palate along with a firm minerality that is their signature, showing the vibrancy and depth of the Hondarribi grape.
What makes this wine unique?
Low alcohol full-bodied Txakoli. Nervy and electric in character. Stainless steel fermentation; estate-owned fruit; aged for more than 12 months. Great Value! It pairs extremely well with oysters, grilled seafood, asparagus, anchovies and artichokes. This Txakoli can also age.
Rating:
TXAKOLI AGUIRREBEKO
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Sep 12
(90% hondarribi zuri, 6% folle blanche and 4% riesling): Bright straw. Lemongrass, lime zest and quince on the fragrant nose, with suave undertones of minerals and jasmine. Juicy, refreshingly bitter citrus and pear skin flavors gain weight with air and pick up a ginger quality. Smooth and sappy on the finish, displaying good grip and a lingering mineral note. 90 points
TXAKOLI BERROJA
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Sep 12
(80% hondarribi zuri and 20% riesling, aged for eight months on its lees; 11.5% alcohol): Bright yellow-gold. Potent aromas of pear skin, quinine and agave, with a bright mineral topnote. Dry and deeply pitched orchard and citrus fruit flavors show impressive clarity and power, picking up a floral nuance with air. Closes sappy and very long, with excellent focus and lingering minerality. This isn’t your father’s Txakoli, but then again your father probably never even heard of Txakoli, unless he’s Basque. 92 points
Grape:
90% Hondarribi Zuri, 6% Folle Blanche and 4% Riesling. The vines are 13 years old, trained on trellises, and a cover crop is planted between the rows.
Pairing Suggestions:
Aside from pairing extremely well with oysters, grilled seafood, asparagus, anchovies and artichokes, this squeaky clean wine is a great foil to curries, Thai and Vietnamese dishes and Chinese dim sum with a little heat.
Vinification and ageing:
After the grapes are harvested during early morning hours in small boxes, the best clusters are selected and are macerated at 50°F for 48 hours. Extended fermentation is carried out at cool temperature (64°F) for 25 days to extract the richness of aroma and palate flavor contained in the lees. The wine is aged in stainless steel tank to retain its crisp fruit character.
Production:
1,500 cases are produced
Location, Soil, Climate:
Located within the Chacolí de Bizkaia/Bizkaiko Txakolina DO (Zone 3) by Spain’s Bay of Biscay, and 20 miles east of Bilbao, the vineyards are outside the town of Muxika, at 200 meters (656 ft.) elevation. The vineyards are quite steep at a 12% slope and the soils drain rather well while giving the vines very good exposure to the sunlight. The soils are composed of limestone on the surface with sandy subsoil, both good types in retaining heat, containing low-to-medium levels of organic matter. The climate here is northern Atlantic; with an average temperature from April-October of 59.6ºF. Yearly rainfall is 59.8 inches, clearly one of the wettest regions in Spain. The disconcertingly cold nights and high levels of rainfall are conditions that don’t allow most other grape varieties to flourish. Interestingly, the main grape in the Basque Country, the Hondarribi (Zuri for white wines and Beltza for reds) thrives here and will not grow anywhere else.
Tasting notes:
Aguirrebeko, made in near ideal vintage, displays a lovely perfume of mineral, sea salt, lime, and spring flowers. Crisp, vibrant, and focused, it has excellent length and a refreshing, neat finish.
Alcohol Content:
12.0%
