Juanjo Tellaetxe Tantaka 2023

Juanjo Tellaetxe works native Basque varieties in the Arrastaria Valley of Álava, within D.O. Arabako-Txakolina. This is Atlantic wine country, where cool maritime air and regular rainfall keep sugars in check and preserve acidity, so the Hondarrabi Zuri grape ripens slowly and retains its natural sharpness. Farming is done with respect for the land and cellar work is kept to a minimum. After a gentle press the wine is aged on its fine lees, and the contact with dead yeast cells adds a light creaminess and a rounder mid-palate that balances the grape's high acidity. The 2023 pours straw-yellow with greenish reflections. The nose is fresh and springlike, with green apple, lemon and white flowers over a faint saline note. The palate is light and taut, dry and citrus-driven, with pear and a coastal salinity that carries into a clean, brisk finish. Alcohol sits low at 12.5 percent. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees in a standard white glass.