Grapes: 90% Hondurrabi Zuri and 10% Hondurrabi Beltza
Region: Txakoli, Spain
Vintage: 2024
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Chalky Limestone + Clay
Vinification: Stainless steel fermentation with closed tops, to retain some co2.
Aging: No aging of the wine. It is bottled while still young to capture some of the natural CO2 left in the wine giving it a slight effervescence.
Fining or Filtering: None
Notes from the Importer: Antxiola, pronounced (ahn-cho-la) is a txacoli wine made by Bodegas Zudugarai. The winery was founded in 1989, the same year that the DO of Getaria txakolina was founded. The Errasti family has been growing grapes and making wine from these vineyards for over 40 years, working with the local varieties of Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza. The vineyards and winery are near the coastline among rolling hills at about 90 meters above sea level. The sunniest and windiest slopes are the ones planted to vines so that the grapes can get ripe and also remain dry and avoid fungal and rot issues. All work in the vineyards is done by hand, including harvest. Most of the vineyards are within a natural park, and so herbicides are strictly forbidden. Fermentation takes place naturally in stainless steel tanks for about 20 days. The wine is then bottled while young to retain some of its natural effervescence.
Besides the delicious and bracing Txacoli, Zudugarai also makes a small amount of a fresh, vibrant, pale pink Rosado.
The name Antxiola refers to a famous fortified home in the nearby town of Orio that was part of the walls fortifying the town. A rendering of that home is on the label of this wine. Admiral Antxiola was one of the most famous owners and written records of the house date back to 1555 – but we know the house is older than that.
