Marko Gure Arbasoak 2023

The bright yellow-colored 2023 Marko Gure Arbasoak is a white from the Bizkaiko Txakolina appellation in the Basque country produced with a blend of Hondarribi Zuri Zerratia (Petit Courbu), Hondarribi Zuri (Gros Courbu) and Izkiota Txikia (Petit Manseng). It fermented in stainless steel and finished in 660-liter oak barrels and Austrian foudres, where it matured for six to seven months with the lees. The reductive character of previous years is a lot subtler this time. The wine has character and a strong personality. It has contained ripeness, 13.5% alcohol, great freshness denoted by the pH of 3.3 and a bone dry and tasty, almost salty finish from the sea influence and the limestone-rich soils. It's not your everyday Txakoli, a serious mineral white. It should age nicely in bottle. 11,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2024. (Luis Guitérrez)