Ulibarri Artzaiak, Bizkaiko Txakolina (2022)

País Vasco, Spain— From a tiny 2 hectare vineyard of 40+ year old vines of Hondarrabi Zuri & Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratie grown organically (one of the only producers to be certified in the Bizkaiko DO) on clay, sand, slate, schist soils. Harvest is done by hand, where grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts and continue aging for around 12 months after harvest before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with low SO2. A still, non-spritzy version of the infamous Basque wine with bright punchy and refreshing acidity. We've tasted their wines back to the 2011 vintage and it seems like they just keep getting better with time, showing what is possible for Txakoli to become. Definitely not your typical Txakoli, this one can show much more salinity, texture, and length than some of the more basic "party pounders." 

“The wine is in the cheese and the cheese is in the wine”

Ulibarri is their last name and Artzaiak means “the shepherds” in Basque. Before anything, these brothers consider themselves shepherds. As the name implies, they herd sheep. Those sheep make cheese. Those sheep also graze the vineyard and compost the soil. It’s a circle of life. Both the wine and cheese are a product of the sheep and therefore,

Their cellar is an extension of their stone home and their backyard is covered with 2 hectares of hondarrabi zuri grapes. The rest is green forests leading to the Cantabrian Sea about 15km away. Their soil is a mix of clay, sand, and slate. They’re one of the few, if not the only, certified organic producers in the Bizkaiko D.O. Simply put, their sheep add more to the vineyard than they do. In the cellar, they’re not making the type of Txakoli most people are accustomed to.

No fizz. No flute. Does this mean it’s not Txakolí? They definitely have the acidity. They’re still highly drinkable and refreshing.