The Best Dry, Minerally White Wine that is Not Muscadet at CSW

If you are a Chambers Street Wines regular client you know we freak out about Muscadet here as we love it. Crisp, minerally, very well-priced and most of the better examples will age for a very long time. The 1982 Luneau-Papin l'Dor is still young according to some pundits around here. But we are not talking about Muscadet here today . . .we are talking about the wonderous 2007 Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina. I swear this wine gets better every year. Spanish Muscadet is what I call it. But first, as usual, I am getting way ahead of myself. A little history is needed here.

Fifteen to twenty years ago when one thought of Spanish white wines there was not much to think about. There was white Rioja, which is a polarizing category in itself, and the beginnings of mutterings about Albarino and not much else. Today the category has exploded with Rueda, hardcore white Rioja from Lopez de Heredia, Godello and tons more of interesting indigenous varietals and blends of these. The category though that most excites us at Chambers Street Wines is the brilliant wines of Ameztoi. The DO is called Getariako Txakolina and hugs the Atlantic Ocean which gives the wine a salty influence and humid quality that only nearness to the ocean can give. This is in north central Spain and hugs the French border and is comfortably in Basque country. The grapes that go into this wine are 90% Hondarribi Zuri and 10% Hondarribi Beltza which are local grapes. As an aside, I personally drink a case of this wine each spring/summer split between dinners at my house and dinners at Tia Pol. And I barely drink Spanish wine that is not named Lopez de Heredia.

This years version is even better than the legendary 2006. Salty as salty can be with a wonderful crisp yet cleansing acidity. Some lime fruits. One of the most complex quaffers I have ever had,. This is very easy to drink. Think carefully about your order. If you order one bottle . . .you'll regret you have not ordered two. This wine is too easy to drink.

In the future look for their outrageous rose wine called Rubentis. We will be offering it.