WTN: Basque, Austrian, and Loire wines

With herbed salmon, barley, and roasted green beans, the 2006 Txomin Etxaniz (Getariako Txakolina). This Txakoli is once again a winner. A little hint of petillance, crisp and fresh. As it has in earlier vintages, reminds me of a bigger framed Muscadet. Lemony fruit, chalk/minerals and seabreeze. Mineral driven at first, as it warms a bit the fruit is more pronounced and riper. Nice wine. B+

Last night my turn to cook, and I tried for once to stay reasonably within recipe (Betsy's Sonoma Diet book). Recipe called for some white wine, so I opened a bargain bin bottle ($5), the 2004 Pfaffl "Event" Gruner Veltliner. Sweet apple fruit with a touch of green pea, very light, almost dilute. Good for cooking, clean flavors at least. C+/B-

Recipe was "bistro chicken with garlic" along with a blackeyed-pea/corn/tomato/chile salad, and wholegrain pasta with an arugula sauce. The salad was great, the chicken not so exciting. Book suggested "Merlot or Syrah", but I went with a half bottle of the 2002 Olga Raffault "Picasses" Chinon. This was drinking well right now, I'm guessing a 750 might be more backward. Delicious raspberry fruit, mostly resolved tannins, good acidty. A bright and fun red. I dawdled over the final glass, and some aromas of tobacco leaf, flowers, and earth mixed with the red fruit. Tasty if not profound. I paid about $10 for the half, excellent value at that price. B++

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.
 

With herbed salmon, barley, and roasted green beans, the 2006 Txomin Etxaniz (Getariako Txakolina). This Txakoli is once again a winner. A little hint of petillance, crisp and fresh. As it has in earlier vintages, reminds me of a bigger framed Muscadet. Lemony fruit, chalk/minerals and seabreeze. Mineral driven at first, as it warms a bit the fruit is more pronounced and riper. Nice wine. B+

Dale,

I've been a huge fan of the Txomin Etxaniz for six or seven years now. It is one of the very few white Spanish wines that get me excited. I tasted the '07 last week with oysters, usually an unbeatable combination, but the wine was showing terribly. I almost hate to mention it, lest it be bottle shock or the like, but the incredibly simple (dull fruit, complete absence of mineral, ZERO petillance, and awkward acidity) new vintage coupled with the huge (but not unexpected price increase, blah, blah, dollar, blah...) slammed the door on our relationship (now $23.) Like all long-term affairs, I suppose I'll give her another chance in a few months to see if it can be reconciled. The oysters, btw, were saved by bottles of Domaine Cauhape Jurancon Sec and Gobelsburg Brut.

-Bill

Too bad. With Euro/dollar price creep is inevitable (though only a few years ago I paid $12, so this is outpacing even weak dollar).

Dale,

I recently re-discovered txakolina during a recent trip in the Basque. These refreshing wines are good, simple summer sippers. I promised then that I'd seek out some when I return. Your note provides the enabler and the reminder for me get a few. Thank you.

Ramon