Emphasis on tragically.
Tried two new wines to me. Had been excited to try them. The numbers check out. All the cool kids are talking about them. I was fully ready to drink the kool-aid.
Unfortunately I think they picked the kool-aid in about mid July.
09 Bodegas Gurrutxaga Bizkaiko Txakolina (10% ABV) -- severely green on the nose. Tastes like celery and fake lemon flavoring. Searing acidity. Mildly fizzy. Straight up gross.
09 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (10.5% ABV) -- not as overtly green but still what I would call clearly underripe. Fizzier than the prior wine. Pretty disgusting.
For what it's worth, we weighed the possibility that these were mishandled by the importer, that we hadn't handled the bottles correctly, that they were cooked, that they needed decanting, that the serving temperature was wrong, that the biodynamic calendar was out of phase with the natural wine making hipster fringe but ultimately concluded that we just didn't like the goods.
We did, however, figure out how to enjoy these wines. If you take 2 parts gin, 1/2 part creme de violette, 1/2 part maraschino liquer, 1/2 part lemon juice, 1 sugar cube, and shake over ice and pour into a martini glass, then pour the rose down the drain, you have a killer Aviation.
Tried two new wines to me. Had been excited to try them. The numbers check out. All the cool kids are talking about them. I was fully ready to drink the kool-aid.
Unfortunately I think they picked the kool-aid in about mid July.
09 Bodegas Gurrutxaga Bizkaiko Txakolina (10% ABV) -- severely green on the nose. Tastes like celery and fake lemon flavoring. Searing acidity. Mildly fizzy. Straight up gross.
09 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (10.5% ABV) -- not as overtly green but still what I would call clearly underripe. Fizzier than the prior wine. Pretty disgusting.
For what it's worth, we weighed the possibility that these were mishandled by the importer, that we hadn't handled the bottles correctly, that they were cooked, that they needed decanting, that the serving temperature was wrong, that the biodynamic calendar was out of phase with the natural wine making hipster fringe but ultimately concluded that we just didn't like the goods.
We did, however, figure out how to enjoy these wines. If you take 2 parts gin, 1/2 part creme de violette, 1/2 part maraschino liquer, 1/2 part lemon juice, 1 sugar cube, and shake over ice and pour into a martini glass, then pour the rose down the drain, you have a killer Aviation.