Last year we full-stop rethought what Txakolina meant to us.

Alfredo Egia showed us how ripe fruit and long élevage teases out texture and breadth in a category known for spritzy white wines. And now, our Basque revival continues with the arrival of Aitor Irazu’s Makatzak, a brand new project that reveals yet another dimension to the place.

On paper—fervent biodynamics and low-intervention cellar work—you might expect something very reflective of Egia's work. But in the glass, they tell different stories. Irazu is obsessed with how his slate soils frame the wines; and where Egia pushes for power, Irazu’s farming delivers taut tension and freshness. Thunder and lighting if you will, both of which we love.

The second full vintage of Makatzak is here, deliciously pushing forward our definition of Txakolina. More below! And as a reference point, these arrived in several case quantities for the whole country to enjoy—a unique peek into one man's very specific ambitions.

Biodynamics is not easy anywhere. But in the beautiful-but-wet, green ocean-facing hills of Basque country it's damn near impossible. That's why it took a whole two years of work for Aitor Irazu and his cousin, carpenter Jon Estebanez, to yield any fruit from Sorgintxulo, the vineyard they purchased in 2019.

The extreme, steep site is mostly planted to local varieties of Hondarrabi Zuri with a touch of Hondarrabi Beltza, with own-rooted vines trained to traditional parral (pergola) and very visibly isolated from neighbors—no chemical inputs for years. Importantly, below their healthy, green ground cover is a chalky slate mixture which defines the wines. An incredibly unique, specific site that is best described by photo:

Everything is laboriously harvested by hand in 10 kg boxes and fermentations are spontaneous with native yeasts in neutral vessels, where the wine stays for élevage. Though wood is used in almost every cuvée, aging never goes longer than a year—just enough time for oxygen to add layers to the final wines without losing the cooling transparency of their vineyard. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered and sulfur is used sparingly, in most cases none at all. 

The wines are distinct from one another, but with the throughline of being deeply Atlantic and soil-driven in their character:

2022 Makatzak Wild Wines 'Sorkin' Getariako Txakolina, Spain, $53
The leanest and brightest of this trio: 100% Hondarrabi Zuri, destemmed and pressed into tank followed by a cool ferment. Aged on the fine lees for 16 months and bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with no SO2.

2022 Makatzak Wild Wines 'Narrasti' Getariako Txakolina, Spain, $62
Intensely energetic minerality amped up by barrel influence: 90% Hondarrabi Zuri and 10% Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia, partially destemmed and macerated for three weeks then racked to used tinaja and French barrique. The rest of the fruit was direct-press and tank fermented; all aged on the fine lees for 11 months. Unfined, unfiltered with a touch of SO2 at bottling.

2022 Makatzak Wild Wines 'Harri Ta Zur' Getariako Txakolina, Spain, $86
The most textured and dense botting, with full malo and a ripping counterpoint of acidity and flinty minerality: 90% Hondarabbi Zuri and 10% Hondarabbi Zuri Zerratia, destemmed and partially fermented in tank, moved to 225L neutral oak to finish fermentation and malolactic conversion. Aged on the fine lees for 10 months with bâtonnage, followed by an additional year in bottle. Unfined, unfiltered and with no SO2.

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