Astobiza Late Harvest Txakoli de Álava 2019 (500 ml)

Astobiza Late Harvest Txakoli comes from the upper reach of the Alava zone at about 650 feet above sea level.  Nestled within the rolling hills of the Basque country, the local varietals are adapted to the continental climate with a heavy Atlantic influence.  The late harvest is made entirely of a variety that comes from this part of the world, Izkiriota (Gros Manseng in French), after the grapes spend extra time on the vine and ripen completely in order to produce sweet and intense sugars in this cooler climate.  A gentle press extracts the beautiful juice for a long and slow fermentation in stainless steel with extra time to mature before bottling.  The result is exceptional, with gorgeous sweetness that is wrapped tightly in freshness and acidity.  

Astobiza is a gorgeous winery in the Txakolí de Alava DO of Spain. Named after a portion of the mountains nearby, Astobiza is a young bodega with old family history in winemaking. Xabier Abando's memories of his father making wine and growing up in the vineyards during the 1950's, carried him past his father's untimely death when Xabier was only fifteen, and gave him the motivation and dreams to one day create his own bodega.  In 1996, his passion began to take form when he accrued an estate near the town of Okendo, and began planting his first 2 hectares of vines, and grew with each year. After his vines produced grapes he found suitable, he built his bodega in 2008 for his first vintage of wine at the age of 68. Now with his son-in-law Jon Zubeldia, and the help of enologist Ana MartÍn, Xabier is making beautiful Txakolí from his organically farmed estate that would have made his father proud.

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