Oxer Bastegieta
Bi-Xori Cabernet Franc Blend
La Rioja Alavesa, La Rioja, Spain
The identification is wrong @Delectable Wine. It’s labeled Oxer Bastegieta Imani Garay “Bi-Xori”. It’s a vaguely Basque-themed blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Tannat, 5% Petit Manseng, 5% Petit Courbu, 2.5% Grenache, and 2.5% Tempranillo, with the grapes coming from Spain and France (for all I know Andorran grapes may even be in there!). It is (obviously) very dark colored. The Tannat is obvious on the nose, with very tree-barky Madiran-type aromas in the fore (brings to mind Bandol too, but there’s no Mourvèdre in this), but under that the Cabernet lurks, showing off Medoc like notes of cassis, violets, and dried underbrush. Loads of crushed stone too. On the palate, the fruit is quite pure and piercing, swept along by crisp acids, but there’s a tannic bite there that gives aggressive structure, though it does not dominate. This is quite unique! Drinking well now, I bet a couple more years would suit it.
The identification is wrong @Delectable Wine. It’s labeled Oxer Bastegieta Imani Garay “Bi-Xori”. It’s a vaguely Basque-themed blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Tannat, 5% Petit Manseng, 5% Petit Courbu, 2.5% Grenache, and 2.5% Tempranillo, with the grapes coming from Spain and France (for all I know Andorran grapes may even be in there!). It is (obviously) very dark colored. The Tannat is obvious on the nose, with very tree-barky Madiran-type aromas in the fore (brings to mind Bandol too, but there’s no Mourvèdre in this), but under that the Cabernet lurks, showing off Medoc like notes of cassis, violets, and dried underbrush. Loads of crushed stone too. On the palate, the fruit is quite pure and piercing, swept along by crisp acids, but there’s a tannic bite there that gives aggressive structure, though it does not dominate. This is quite unique! Drinking well now, I bet a couple more years would suit it.
Mar 25th, 2023