Lento Latido Txakoli de Bizkaia

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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 that grow nowhere else in the world, and which reflect the region’s proximity to the sea – saline, with bracing acid and refreshing, clean mouthfeel. Within the Basque Country, there are 2 distinct styles Txakoli wines: the slightly effervescent, almost cider-like Getaria style, which is most familiar to American wine drinkers, and the Bizkaia style, which is rounder and more vinous, but equally as refreshing and gastronomic. Bodega Berroja is a Bizkaia style Txakoli with power and ageability. One of only a half dozen permitted wineries within the Urdaibai subzone, Berroja offers a rare example of the style to be exported to the US. Berroja’s winemaker-founder, José Ángel Carrero, was one of the first to plant here in the 1990s, helping kickstart a new generation of ecologically-minded Bizkaiko Txakolina winemaking after decades of industrialization dominated the area.

WHAT MAKES THIS WINE UNIQUE?

Bodega Berroja is surrounded by a protected national forest called Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve, located in the village of Muxika. Its presence within the reserve makes it an isolated and protected winery, allowing for integrated sustainable winemaking practices. This wine is unique among Txakoli wines because of its extended lees aging, which contributes complexity, weight, and texture.

RATING HISTORY:

2019 91W&S, 90D

GRAPE:

85% Hondarrabi Zuri, 10% Riesling and 5% Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia. Sustainably grown (certified) vines planted in 1995. Tended in limestone and sandy soil at 200 m (656 ft) elevation. This is a vegan wine.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:

Pairs well with seafood and vegetables.

VINIFICATION AND AGING:

The grapes are harvested manually and vinified separately. Fermentation happens in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine is then aged on its own lees for 12 months. After a light clarification and filtration the wine is bottled.

LOCATION, SOIL, CLIMATE:

The vineyards are located in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve in Muxica, within the Txakolina Bizkaiko DO by Spain's Bay of Biscay, 20 miles east of Bilbao, at 200 meters (656 ft) above sea level. The vineyards are quite steep at a 12% slope and the soils drain well while giving the vines very good exposure to the sunlight. The soils are limestone on the surface with sandy subsoil. The climate here is northern Atlantic. This is one of the wettest regions in Spain.

TASTING NOTES:

Apricot, peach and freesia aromas prepare the palate for nectarine, Bosc pear, grapefruit and rose petal flavors. Luminous acidity and a gentle texture make for a pleasant pour - Mike DeSimone

ALCOHOL CONTENT:

12.5%

UPC CODE:

8437019718879