Txakolina Tinto

[Marc D]

I found a lone bottle of the 2004 Doniene Gorrondona Bizkaiko Txakolina laying around, and opened it this weekend to drink with a saute of the first of the season local(from the woods next to my house) chantrelles with some shallots and green beans, olive oil over pasta. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've tried a wine made from Hondarribi Beltza, or the "red Txakolina".

It was very impressive. The wine has a good green note, something like wet fir needles more than bell pepper. It is lively in the mouth with lots of structure. For 12% alcohol, it also has substantial depth of flavor. The fruit is mostly of the black variety, and it finishes spicy. The back label states that this is fermented in steel tanks, which I think gives the tannins a rough unpolished quality. It went well with the mushrooms and string beans.

This comes from vines that are reportedly over 100 years old and are pre-phylloxera.

The website mentions that Gorrondona makes a barrel fermented Txakolina tinto. Is this available in the US, and has anyone (VLM?) tried it?

Inicio - Doniene Gorrondona

Somos viñerones. Desde 1996 en Doniene Gorrondona trabajamos nuestros viñedos y elaboramos txakoli, el vino de los caseríos vascos.

www.donienegorrondona.com

Kudos to the Politburo for their efforts with the new site!

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Marc D:
Txakolina TintoI found a lone bottle of the 2004 Doniene Gorrondona Bizkaiko Txakolina laying around, and opened it this weekend to drink with a saute of the first of the season local(from the woods next to my house) chantrelles with some shallots and green beans, olive oil over pasta. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've tried a wine made from Hondarribi Beltza, or the "red Txakolina".

It was very impressive. The wine has a good green note, something like wet fir needles more than bell pepper. It is lively in the mouth with lots of structure. For 12% alcohol, it also has substantial depth of flavor. The fruit is mostly of the black variety, and it finishes spicy. The back label states that this is fermented in steel tanks, which I think gives the tannins a rough unpolished quality. It went well with the mushrooms and string beans.

This comes from vines that are reportedly over 100 years old and are pre-phylloxera.

The website mentions that Gorrondona makes a barrel fermented Txakolina tinto. Is this available in the US, and has anyone (VLM?) tried it?

Inicio - Doniene Gorrondona

Somos viñerones. Desde 1996 en Doniene Gorrondona trabajamos nuestros viñedos y elaboramos txakoli, el vino de los caseríos vascos.

www.donienegorrondona.com

Kudos to the Politburo for their efforts with the new site!

Yes, is is available in the US. Chambers at least has had it, and it is brought in by my friend Andr Tamers at DeMaison Selecions.

De Maison Selections – Responsibly Sourced Wines, Ciders and Spirits

De Maison Selections is the exclusive US importer of exceptional, artisanal properties from Spain, France, and beyond, which are rooted in their land and demonstrate respect for their ecology and heritage. As a result, our releases are imbued

www.demaisonselections.com

I quite liked the wine and am glad to hear that the 2004 is still holding up. The 2006 is on the market now with the 2007 coming soon, at least I think.

 

[Marc D]

Did you notice a big difference in the barrel fermented vs the steel tank raised version of the wine?