Bat Gara Somos UNO Hondarrabi Zuri/Riesling 2021 75 cl.

Uno is a white wine made from 95% Hondarrabi Zuri and 5% Riesling from vineyards in the Ayala Valley near Lezama, at an altitude of 340-400 m.a.s.l. The subsoil consists of clay, calcareous clay and crumbling sandstone. The vineyards are cultivated according to the “integrated agriculture” principle, with minimal intervention. The grapes are harvested manually at the end of October, at an optimal balance between sugar and acid. They are transported in small boxes of 15 kg. to avoid mashing and oxidation.

It is the “typicality” and elegance that are prioritized during the vinification, and therefore a gentle pressing is used, a spontaneous fermentation with the grapes’ own yeast cells in steel tanks and a subsequent stay “sur lie” for 6 months, also in steel tanks. The mixing of the wines from the two grape varieties is done immediately before bottling.

Uno has a glossy, straw yellow colour. The scent offers dry, slightly bitter notes of freshly picked nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds), green apples and passion fruit, as well as exotic nuances of pickled citrus fruits (pomeran), tropical wood, flor (sherry) and hay. The taste is also very complex. Both the exotic and the fresh notes follow, but the wine also has a good crispness and a good bite, as well as a delicious finish with smoky, mineral and slightly salty notes. A very characterful wine. Try it with grilled fish, with shellfish and with oysters “nature” as well as tasty red mold cheeses.

Bodega BAT GARA is located approx. 25 km. south of Bilbao, near the village of Lezama between the Sierra Salvada mountains and the Gorbea Natural Park, – in the middle of the DO Arabako Txakolina (Txakoli de Álava). The winery was founded by restaurateur and viticulturist Jose Cruz Guinea and farmer and viticulturist Txema Gotxi, who thus united their forces and shared passion for the magnificent wines of Arabako Txakolina and the local grape variety, Hondarrabi Zuri.

Today, the property consists of two single fields, which are divided into smaller plots: Urtaran of 4 ha. and Arrugalde on 2 ha. The fields are planted with the varieties Hondarrabi Zuri and the variety Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, but a little Riesling is also grown, which also gives excellent results in the district. For the vines, a single Guyot binding has been chosen, which provides good sun exposure but also air around the grapes, which i.a. provides good cooling. The subsoil is mainly clayey and gives the grapes a natural acidity that gives fresh and crisp wines with good grape “typicality”.

The yield never exceeds approx. 42 hl./ha. It is the “typicality” and elegance that are prioritized during vinification, and therefore a gentle pressing is carried out as well as a spontaneous fermentation with the grapes’ own yeast cells, followed by a stay “sur lie” in min. 5 months. The wines from Bodega BAT GARA are considered among the elite in Arabako Txakolina