Almost perfectly due north of Madrid, on Spain’s Atlantic Coast (just southwest of San Sebastián), is Bilbão—home to Frank Gehry’s trippily designed Guggenheim and lots of racy white wine known as Txakoli.
This is the heart of Spain’s país vasco, or Basque Country, known for its bustling pintxo bars, its high number of Michelin Stars, and this oddball wine, which tastes like sea spray and is often poured directly in one’s mouth from a long-spouted pitcher called a porrón. Txakoli (CHOCK-o-lee) is typically feather-light, low-alcohol, and fizzy, and in the summer months the locals drink it like water, with everything from boquerones to roasted meats. While most Txakoli are closer to salted lemon water than a serious expression of terroir, the 2015 Gorka Izagirre “G22” is on another level. This wine offers the salty Atlantic-infused freshness you expect from a Txakoli but tacks on many layers of texture and complexity. It is a more determined style of Txakoli, the Txakoli you wish you had at the ready while pintxo bar-hopping in San Sebastián. The G22 has the weight of a Premier Cru Chablis, drinks like a serious Rías Baixas Albarino, and, at $25, is priced right for adventure. It is racy, invigorating, and surprisingly substantial—put simply, it’s serious Txakoli.
The Basque Country sits on the Bay of Biscay, just southwest of Bordeaux where France and Spain meet. This region looks and feels like no other region in Spain. Although Castillian Spanish is spoken throughout, the Basque people have their own ancient language, with completely unknown origins. In the wine world, Basque Country is part of “Green Spain” along with Galicia to the west. Miles of green, rolling hills are grazed by cows and sheep and patches of thick, green forest cover the mountains. Most of the vineyards are planted in coastal regions, and the influence of the Atlantic Ocean keeps temperatures cool and damp, with wind and rainfall nearly year round. Vines are planted so close to the water here that salty sea spray and air blow directly on the vines, resulting in wines that are generally high in acidity with a strong saline component.
Gorka Izagirre is the project of Restaurante Azurmendi, a completely sustainable, Three-Michelin-Star restaurant overlooking the Bizkaiko region of the Basque Country. The Gorka Izagirre wines are cultivated in more than 40 hectares of vines nearby, divided in 14 plots in 6 towns throughout Biscay. Their goal is to create wines that will match the high quality of Basque gastronomy. They are as meticulous in both the vineyard and the cellar as they are in their restaurant, and “G22” is a perfect example of the heights a Txakoli can reach when the local Hondarrabi Zerratia grape is farmed with an eye toward greater ripeness. The “G22” is a coupage of the most exceptional grapes, plucked from only the best vineyard sites. It’s rested in tank after fermentation for an extended period of aging on its lees, adding texture and body, much like many of the world’s great white wines. This sur lie aging is often what traps some CO2 in the wine and accounts for its spritz, but the G22 doesn’t show any effervescence. It is also, among other things, a much deeper color than is typical—a reflective straw-gold—for the category. Enjoy this wine now, or let it evolve for a few years in the bottle.
The 2015 G22 offers old-vine complexity, texture and a level of fruit and soil expression that is atypical of most Txakoli. Green apple core, salted lemon, white flowers and mango peel pop out of the glass. Generous medium body shows on the palate with notes of umami, nori seaweed, crushed rocks and lime blossom. With enough air this wine fills out with a delicate earthiness, complete with minerality and salty accents. We recommend decanting for 30 minutes, serving at cellar temperature of 50 degrees in all-purpose whites or large Bordeaux stems. Serve with raw sushi or fresh seafood, simply prepared, or a traditional seafood recipe such as the attached Cod with Basque Wine Sauce preparation.
Buen Provecho!
