2023 Akarregi Txiki, White Wine, Getariako Txakolina, Spain.
A new producer for me, Akarregi Txiki, making a tight collection of wines from Spain’s Atlantic coast and the Getariako Txakolina, with their classic white being my first experience with this winery, made from 95% Hondarrabi Zuri and 5% Hondarrabi Beltza (juiced from the red grapes without skin contact),which impressed me with its energy and light steely crisp details. The 2023 Akarregi Txiki shows off a brisk and bone dry array of lime, green melon, unripe white peach fruits and sea shore, mineral tones and delicate herbal essences, making it fabulous with razor claims, canned sardines and raw foods. Super fresh and with some spritz, from captured zesty CO2, this Getariako Txakolina is an absolutely perfect, ultra pale and delicious example of the region’s classic style white, which is an awesome Summer wine.
The Akarregi estate situated on the slopes of the famous Basque coastal town of Getaria and based in family’s generations-old caserío, or farmhouse, with just 17 hectares of vines. Their importer Skurnik Wines says wine has been produced here for many decades, but that the current bodega and label only dates back to the establishment of the Getariako Txakolina appellation in 1990. Skurnik adds that there are no frills here, and none are necessary, for the production of this salty wonder of the world, Getariako Txakolina, with just clean tanks and cold temperatures needed to make them. So, Akarregi Txiki uses hand harvested grapes and ferments cold in stainless steel tanks, with a short lees aging, 3 months only and then the wine is bottled quickly to preserve all the natural vibrancy and clarity, as seen here with their zingy Getariako Txakolina. This remote cool climate area of Spain is located between San Sebastian and Bilbao, with the wines mainly focused on the local Hondarrabi Zuri grape and whites, but some producers also doing red wine, and super crisp Rosé (Rosado) as well, which Akarregi makes along side the whites.
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive