Txakolina, Berroia

85% Hondarrabi Zuri/10% Riesling/5% Folle Blanche

Bright, green-hued straw. Spicy and focused on the nose, displaying fresh citrus and orchard fruit aromas and hints of honey and jasmine. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering juicy pear and tangerine flavors that tighten up on the back half. Finishes with very good persistence, leaving behind mineral and honeysuckle notes.

Txakoli, the wine of the Basque Country in northern Spain, is just like the region’s language, culture, and food – completely independent of the world around it. Txakoli is made from indigenous grapes Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza, that literally grow nowhere else in the world. Txakoli are wines of the sea – saline, with bracing acid and refreshing, clean mouthfeel. Within the Basque Country, there are 2 distinct styles of wine called Txakoli. One is the Getaria style, slightly effervescent, almost cider-like which is the style that is most familiar to American wine drinkers. Berroia is an estate-bottled wine made by Bodega Berroja in the Bizkaia style, where the wines are made with more power and ageability. Elegant, savory and saline, Berroia Txakoli is a pre-eminent example.

Bodega Berroja is surrounded by a protected national forest called Urdaibai in the village of Muxica. Berroia Txakoli is a rare gem: a fuller-bodied example hailing from the lesser-known DO Bizkaiko Txakolina­. A savory, elegant expression of this maritime terroir, this is a still wine with no effervescence. While delicious young, Berroia can age beautifully up to a decade or more.