Views on Itsas Mendi Bizkaiko Txakolina?

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Saina Nieminen

Saina Nieminen
I was intrigued to try it since we haven't had much Txakoli available. Unfortunately I wasn't terribly impressed (having much more enjoyed Txomin Etxaniz and especially Ameztoi a while back in Spain): funny banana smell; full bodied and fruity in comparison to the few other Txakolis I've had. But I thought this was supposed to be one of the good producers? I guess I must give it another chance?
 
Had the '02 late harvest version in Bilbao, which I enjoyed even though it's obviously riper and fruitier than the norm. I seem to recall tasting the regular in a few pintxos bars here and there, but I can't determine if I ever wrote a note on one, and no longer remember what I thought at the time.
 
Oh, that's just the most important conversation we could have about any wine, isn't it?

Sorry. A little touchy on this subject at the moment. I'll get over it and go back to acting like a semi-normal human being on this subject, one day.
 
originally posted by Thor:
Oh, that's just the most important conversation we could have about any wine, isn't it?

Sorry. A little touchy on this subject at the moment. I'll get over it and go back to acting like a semi-normal human being on this subject, one day.
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I think it's a problem in the region.

Something about the kinship to Muscadet, maybe?
 
Honestly? I don't care that much. I don't think there's some immense value to the subtle gradations in txakoli production that will lead to some Natural nirvana beverage in which Monica Bellucci-shaped angels will fly out of our asses and bless our fizzy white (or pink, or even red) quaffing wine.

I don't mean to be irritating on this point, but if there's some incredible difference between the wines that's solely due to practice, it's lost on me after tasting dozens and dozens of them in situ. I think some producers are better than others. And Bizkaiko isn't Getariako.

None of this is meant to suggest that Itsas Mendi isn't the viticultural Great Satan for inoculating, which is clearly a possibility that we should explore to its fullest.
 
No idea what vintage you're talking about, Otto. Txakoli varies hugely depending on the temperatures and rain, which also vary very markedly on Spain's northern coast. The 2008 we've tasted here is fine - probably better than the 2009 will be, since last year was such a warm and dry year that it has probably produced fatter, more tropical txakolis. I don't see any presence of brazenly 'aromatized' yeasts in Itsas Mendi. (Inoculation with neutral, selected yeasts is commonplace in the area and doesn't usually denature the wines.)
 
originally posted by Thor:

None of this is meant to suggest that Itsas Mendi isn't the viticultural Great Satan for inoculating, which is clearly a possibility that we should explore to its fullest.
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After you.

I haven't had this vintage, nor one in the last few. I was taking a guess based on Otto's description. Hence the question mark. But there are plenty of icky yeasted dry whites out there. Glad to hear that this isn't one of them.

Don't let me stop the party, though.
 
Fwiw, I've never gotten any banana flavors or aromas out of the wine and I'm told they use native yeasts. They do pick later than many, so their wine is riper than most. Here's a link to info on the wine. Fwiw, the company I work with imports and distributes the wine.
 
I couldn't find anything on their web site, but admittedly I'm more or less at sea with both languages, and I'm sure someone who isn't could contact them for more info if they desired.
 
It was the 2009 I tried. I guess the warm year and later picking must then be why I preferred the others I have tried. I just poured myself a glass to try again, and yes, I still find something like banana in the scent. And I don't like it. I do like how this is still a lively wine despite being a warm year and picked later. It's a bit silly that a tiny nuance of a fruit I don't like can so drastically limit my enjoyment.
 
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