Itsasmendi Artizar 2019

Itsasmendi is a leading producer of Txakoli in D.O. Bizkaiko Txakolina, on the Basque coast, and Artizar is made only from Hondarrabi Zuri, the region's signature white grape. The vines were planted in 1989 on shale and sandstone soils, in an Atlantic climate that stays mild for much of the year but sees plenty of rain. That cool, wet, maritime setting is the source of the wine's high, bright acidity and its saline character, while the shale gives a firm mineral base. Where a standard Txakoli is bottled young and slightly spritzy, Artizar is a more ambitious wine aged eight months on its lees in barrel. The lees contact builds a fine creamy texture and adds depth, and the neutral barrel gives a breath of oxygen and a light savoury weight without laying down obvious oak, so the wine keeps its taut Atlantic freshness while gaining complexity. Expect a nose of lemon, green apple and white flowers with a saline, herbal edge, and a mineral, slightly creamy palate of citrus and orchard fruit over a long, dry, salty finish. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees.