2013 Bengoetxe Getariako Txakolina

Region: Getariako Txakolina < Basque Country < Spain  
Grapes: Hondarribi Zuri, Gros Manseng
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified Organic; Unfined/unfiltered.  Certified organic; clay soils; Classic and slow wild yeast fermentation takes place in small vats, located in their home garage, and then the wine is raised on the lees up to a year with no batonnage. SO2 is kept to a minimum, and because all CO2 is natural (not injected), the wine does not often show the spritzy character of other Txakolis
Winemaker: Iñaki Exteberría

Bengoetxe means “come home” in Basque, and this is what Iñaki and Rosa Maria Etxeberria did in 2001 when they restored this historically significant property back to vine-growing. This estate was always the family’s dairy farm, but in 2001 they planted a 3.8 hectare vineyard and started making Txakolí (BTW, they’re the only winery outside of the town of Getaria to receive the Getariako Txakolina D.O. status, and one of only two certified organic – since 2007- producers in the Basque Country – both BFDs). Iñaki and Rosa Maria’s story, and commitment to organic farming and hands-off winemaking is rare in the Basque Country, a region dominated by industrial production. This wine is special – having spent several years in bottle by now, it’s peacocking with a lot more complexity than the typical young-drinking, slightly spritzy quaffers from the region. Structured and lively, with beaming acidity, fuzzy apricot skins, lush lemon and chamomile, and this cool savory-smoky-flinty thing on the finish. Forgot about any Txakolina you’ve had before – this was how the original Txakolis tasted before commercial yeast, chemicals and heavy filtration took hold of the region.