Hiruzta Txakoli Brut Nature 2016
- Vinous
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Winemaker Notes
Clean and bright. Pale yellow color with greenish glints against the light. Release of fine bubbles and presence of abundant tiny rosaries with great persistence. Exquisite creamy sustained foam crown and islets covering a large part of the wine surface. Intense white-fruit aromas (pear and apple) reach the nose, with underlying fennel and slight creamy, pastry hints, all highlighted by the effervescence of the natural carbonic gas. It is highly balanced and fresh in the mouth, with a pleasant, sharp taste due to the carbonic gas and well-integrated acidity. Creamily pleasant to the palette with much body and structure, with fruit compote notes in the aftertaste. Long, aromatic finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Shimmering orange. Spice-accented red berries, orange zest and a hint of smokiness on the pungent nose. Smooth and subtly sweet, offering sappy raspberry, cherry and tangerine flavors and a spicy touch of white pepper. Closes long and supple, with a suave floral note coming in late.
Other Vintages
2017-
Wine
Enthusiast
The name Hiruzta means “a three-person harvest” in Basque, referring to winery owners Asensio Rekalde and his sons Txarli and Angel, whose shared dream of creating a winery in Hondarribia is now a reality. Txakoli production in this village dates back to 1186, however the tradition was lost during a long stretch of sieges and battles that took place there in the early 1600’s. Through years of work the Rekalde family has recovered and revitalized Hondarribia’s viticultural heritage, with nine vineyard plots that sit in the Jaizkibel foothills that surround the winery. Hiruzta is not only a winery, it is a philosophy of life. Bringing together discovery, passion and culture; this family winery is located in Txakoli (pronounced cha-ko-lee) a region in Northeastern Spain’s Basque country. Known for producing light, crisp wines from indigenous grapes like Hondarrabi Zuri, they are an excellent aperitif and since they are lower in alcohol it makes for the perfect Summer sipper.
Txakoli is the wine produced in the Basque Country of Spain, mainly with the Hondarrabi Zuri grape variety; a native grape that makes Txakoli stand out from any other wine worldwide. Txakoli has been produced in Hondarribia for several centuries, it is the city to which this native grape owes its name. It is picturesque fishing village that has managed to ensure the preservation of its architecture, history and an important gastronomic culture among its inhabitants. Txakoli is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content. It is normally served as an aperitif and drunk within one year of bottling as it cannot be stored for much longer. The most common, white, variety has a pale green color, but there are red and rosé varieties. When served, it is normally poured into tall glasses from a height.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
On the southern edge of the rocky Bay of Biscay in northern Spain, this is Basque country and home to the refreshing and slightly effervescent (usually) white wine, Txakoli. Three subregions compose the larger one: Getariako Txakolina, Bizkaiko Txakolina and Arabako Txakolina. While Hondarribi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza are the main grape varieties, other French varieties are scattered throughout the region.