Top 20 Txakoli: The Basque Country’s classic white re-emerges

According to the DO Getariako Txakolina (in the Basque language, otherwise Txakoli de Getaria), the first bylaws of Spain’s northerly Basque province of Gipuzkoa were drawn up in 1397 to include item 18: Anyone destroying the local vines could be sentenced to death.

It is a pointer – admittedly somewhat extreme – to the historical importance of Txakoli in the Euskal Herria, or País Vasco in Castilian Spanish (Basque Country in English).

There is written evidence of viticulture in this region as far back as the 9th century, and wine production continued to flourish for centuries.

The loss of vineyards in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (due to the damaging impacts of the phylloxera bug and mildew in the vineyards, and economic and social factors including urban growth leading to depopulation) has been well documented, as have the recuperation efforts that were undertaken in the 1990s.

Now, after several decades of replanting, investment and innovation, is Txakoli heading towards a renaissance?

Scroll down to see notes and scores of Willard’s Txakoli picks

Stylistic diversity

This selection of 20 wines offers examples of some of the best Txakolis available today, from the traditional light and effervescent styles of the Basque coast to more substantial and structured white wines that reflect their terroir and the flexibility of the region’s indigenous varieties.

I have included some of my favourite classic styles of Txakoli produced using local grape Hondarrabi Zuri. These are wines with a little spritz, lively and light, and laden with the salty air of the Cantabrian sea, hailing from the Getariako Txakolina DO, where vines perch on the cliffs and seem to plunge into the sea.

With a certain old- school charm, these are the wines of the bars of Getaria, Zarautz and San Sebastián where obliging waiters will still pour from a height into flat-bottomed glasses. Paired with fresh anchovies or grilled razor clams, could there be a better combination?

A region in motion

But for a variety of styles and more serious concentration, the Vizcaya (Biscay) province is the hotspot. From the coastal salinity of wines from around Bilbao to riper and weightier wines from inland growers in towns like Gernika (Guernica) and Larrabeztu, the Bizkaia Txakolina DO dominates the top-rated wines in my selection (five of the seven wines with a score of 93-96pts) with an impressive level of quality.

In particular, the work producers are doing with lees – in a mix of stainless steel, concrete or oak vessels – has increased the intensity and complexity of Vizcayan wines.

The smallest region, DO Arabako Txakolina/Txakoli de Alava, may only consist of eight wineries (founded in 2001, it is the youngest of the DOs) but there is some exciting experimentation going on here.

Single-vineyard Malkoa from Astobiza is one of the new-wave Txakoli wines with a focus on terroir and enviable ability to age, while at Bodega Tantaka, owner Juanjo Tellaetxe is pursuing low-intervention winemaking in order to achieve a serious gastronomic style of wine.

So, the answer is yes! As the region reestablishes itself, outstanding Txakolis are emerging: white wines worthy of sitting alongside the best in Spain. Many winemakers are committed to ageing in concrete – a material that seems to suit Hondarrabi Zuri well – and each year there are more interesting rosé and red wines, and even a handful of sparkling and sweet wines to add to the region’s assortment. More and more wines even show a capacity to age.

From the breathtaking Basque coastline to its verdant hills and valleys shrouded in fog, the País Vasco is a region on the rise.

Willard’s pick: 20 top Txakoli wines to try

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