Iri is part of viticultor and winemaker Itziar Insausti’s personal mission to show the world that hondarrabi zuri, the indigenous grape of txakoli, can be more than just a lighthearted wine; it can be serious, multifaceted, and truly world-class. This is a still wine with deep concentration, not the spritzy porch pounder style of many Txakoli.

Winemakers: Itziar Insausti, Andoni Sarratea

Farming: Organic

Varieties: 100% Hondarrabi Zuri, 25+ year old vines

Soil / Terroir: Sandstone and Shale

Vinification: Zero sulfur was used during vinification and bottling. Grapes are carefully hand-selected during a manual harvest and rushed to the winery to avoid any oxidation. There the grapes are destemmed, and only the free-run juice is used. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with native yeasts. The wine then goes through a partial spontaneous malolactic fermentation and ages on the lees for five months.

Aging: Five months on the lees

Tasting Notes: Fresh, tart and concentrated, with freshly cut green melon and salty citrus.

Doniene Grrondona was founded by winemaker and oenologist Itziar Insausti and journalist Andoni Sarratea. Itziar’s brother Egoitz works in the winery and assists agronomist Julen Frías in the vineyards. Doniene Gorrondona was one of three original pioneers in the revival of txakolina production near Bilbao, with the creation of the Bizkaiko Txakolina DO in 1994. Prior to that, the txakolina discipline was nearly lost in the area, with many vineyards given over to the construction of seaside homes. Their goal has always been to rejuvenate the tradition of txakolina and honor its contribution to the gastronomic and cultural history of their village with the indigenous hondarrabi zuri and hondarrabi beltza grapes.

Spain