Bodegas Ameztoi, Txakoli di Getaria

The Basque country, high in the western Pyrenees straddling France and Spain, is a lost land of idiosyncratic wonders.  The people speak a language unlike any other in the world and the national game Pelota is similarly unique.  Not surprisingly then, their wines too are quite distinct and one of these, the Txakoli, is famed for being both bone dry and low alcohol and adorned with a natural spritz.  Perfect for the Light Drinker.  No surprise then that I have been searching for this elusive prize but so far with no success.

My one miss, and it is a big miss, is this 11% ABV Txakoli di Getaria from the Bodegas Ameztoi.  Firstly, by my book, it’s not low alcohol, but needs must.  Secondly, it wasn’t very good. It is dry and with a splendid spritz, but the balance is awful – far too acidic, such that non-one wanted a second glass.

Beneath the surface, the wine reminded me very much of a Vinho Verde which is I guess unsurprising, they being near neighbours on the cool Atlantic coast.  So with the promise that the Basque’s may yet deliver me something as good as our best Vinho Verdes, which I like greatly, my quest continues.  I may even have to get on train to visit the maker, whose notes (below) are as enigmatic as their country.

Note:  I’ve several times found this Bodegas Ameztoi, Txakoli di Getaria advertised at 10.5% (so just within my “low ABV” range). But when I received the bottle it is labelled 11%.  I suspect that like so many wines, it has been subject to ABV-inflation since it was first introduced.