Astobiza Txakoli de Álava Rosé 2023 (750 ml)
Astobiza Txakoli de Álava Rosé 2023 (750 ml)
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.
The Astobiza Txakoli Rosado 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. This rosé is made up of two local grapes called Ondarrabi Beltza (black), and Ondarrabi Zuri (white), which were hand harvested and brought into the cellar in small crates. The red grapes only spent a day or so on the skins to give the beautiful pink color to the wine, and after fermentation with the white grapes, the expression of fruit and terroir really comes out in the bottle. The finished wine has a lovely floral nose of strawberries and white flowers that are followed by a clean and dry palate offering persistence and beautifully fresh acidity.