90 points
Xarmant
2010 Txakoli($17) International Wine Cellar, #158, Sept./Oct. - Josh Raynolds
Pale gold. Lime zest , flowers and dusty minerals on the nose, plus a hint of fresh ginger. Dusty, very dry citrus fruit and strong mineral flavors are lifted by a spicy element. This very fresh, tightly wound wine finishes with excellent clarity and lingering minerality.
2008 Arabako Txakolina Xarmant Arabako Txakoli
91 Points
($17) Light yellow. Impressively complex bouquet of grapefruit, lemon thyme, tarragon and white pepper. Dry, racy and sharply focused, offering lively citrus and green apple flavors and a strong herbal note. Finishes with impressive clarity and mineral thrust, with the herbal element recurring. - J.R.(International Wine Cellar Sept/Oct 2009)
91 Points
2007 Xarmant
Arabako Txakolina
$19
Bright straw color. Pink grapefruit and lime on the nose, with a strong chalky component gaining power. Citrus flavors are refreshingly bitter and precise, with an exotic saffron quality on the back end. There's almost painful concentration to this light-bodied wine, and the finish is dry, incisive and persistent. This would be great with oysters. -J.R. (International Wine Cellar 9/08)
89 Points
2006 Xarmant Txakolina
Arabako Txakolina
$14
Light straw. Zesty quince, ginger and white flower aromas, with a fine mineral overlay. Racy, sharply focused citrus flavors offer impressive cut, expanding on the finish and picking up a bitter peach pit quality. Rounder than most Txakolis, but hardly fat. Try this with clams casino. - S.T. (International Wine Cellar Sept/Oct 07)
88 Points
Xarmant
Txakolina 2005
Arabako Txakolina
88
$13
Light gold. Vibrant, racy and brisk, with scents of chalk, green apple and pear. Firm and juicy, with sound acidity but also good flesh and a gentle quality to the orchard and citrus flavors. The finish deepens and expands with air, picking up a note of tangerine. -J.R. (International Wine Cellar Sept/Oct 2006)
From The Wine Advocate
2009 Arabako Txakolina Xarmant
Arabako Txakolina, Spain
$17
Xarmant’s 2009 Txakolina is made from 80% Hondarribi Zuri and 20% Hondarribi Zuri Zerratia fermented in stainless steel. From a vintage described by the importer as “nervy, minerally”, this light straw-colored wine gives up aromas of green apple, mineral, and citrus. Crisp on the palate with a good core of fruit, this balanced, lengthy effort will pair beautifully with raw bar over the next 12-18 months. Score: 89 -J.M. (WA #188, Apr 2010)
90 Points
Xarmant
2007 Txakolina
Arabako Txakolina
$19
Arabako is the newest of Txakolina’s Dos having been formed in 2003 and is considered to produce rounder, warmer white wines. Modernization and replanting began in the late 1980s and today there are 60 hectares of vineyard. The 2007 Xarmant Txakolina is composed of 80% Hondarribi Zuri and 20% Hondarribi Zuri Zerratia, both indigenous to the region. Medium straw-colored, it offers an enticing nose of mineral, citrus, and lemon zest. This is followed by a light to medium-bodied dry wine 1-2 years. -J.M. (Wine Advocate, March 2009)
87 points
2005 Xarmant Txakolina
Arabako Txakolina
Arabako Txakolina
$13.00
Arabako Txakolina, the only significant producer in the D.O. of the same name, is a co-op of 12 growers. The 2005 Xarmant is made from 80% Hondarribi Zuri and 20% Hondarribi Zuri Zerratia and fermented in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. It is medium straw in color with lemon/lime aromatics and flavors and a hint of minerality in the background. The finish is dry, crisp, and medium long. This excellent value should be drunk over the next 1-2 years. –J.M. (eRobertParker.com, 2-28-07)
88 Points
Arabako
2004 Xarmant
Arabako Txakolina
$13
Made in a dry, fruity, mineral-laced style, this primarily Hondarribi Zuri (an indigenous varietal) cuvee exhibits plenty of CO2 along with ripe honeydew melon, peach, and honey characteristics. Fresh and lively with low alcohol (11%), this stainless steel-fermented and aged, crisp white will provide abundant pleasure over the next 1-2 years. -R.P. (#159)
