Urkizahar ‘Edizio Mugatua Edicion Limitada’ Txakolina, 2017

This week’s wine crush is Urkizahar ‘Edizio Mugatua Ediciòn Limitada’ Txakolina which comes to us from a relatively new (first vintage was in 2012) vineyard in the Basque region, in the town of Bezima. Over the past decade, the geography of growing Txakolina in the Basque has been changing. As a result of the expansion of designated growing regions, the grape (Hondarrabi Zuri), which was traditionally found more in the coastal regions, is now rooting its way inland to more rugged, hilltop terrains. And while there’s more to say about the history behind all of that, it’s lucky for us because these new growing regions mean new methods of producing and new expressive versions of this tasty, mineral driven grape. 

Urkizahar, which means “birch tree” in Basque, is a tiny “micro-vineyard” in Bezima, the highest elevation in the DO Getariako Txakolina at 450 meters above sea level. This 2.5 hectare vineyard is nestled high in the hills where it receives both steep, southern exposure, and gusts of salty sea air. This limited bottling Txakolina is made from the same juice as the other 2017 wines made by Luis Javier, but aged for 10 months in previously used French oak. The resulting wine is richer than most other Txakolinas, but with a steely backbone of crisp acidity that makes for an exceptionally thirst quenching sip. Think bright crushed apples and the salt from an afternoon ocean dip lingering on your tongue. Ever so slightly effervescent, this is a wine that will stand up to salty cured meats and cheeses, but would be just as lovely on its own. With only a small number of bottles made, we’ll be drinking this crush for as long as we can!