Juanjo Tellaetxe Tantaka grew up in a remote river valley in the Basque province of Araba. As a child Juanjo would walk with the shepherds as they followed their flocks through the valley. His family has lived for generations in Araba, the family cemetery is in the same river canyon as Juanjo’s vineyards. The steep mountains protect the valley from the harsh coastal winds blowing off of the Atlantic. The valley is humid and cool most of the year creating long hang times for the grapes. During the rainy season waterfalls cascade down sheer cliff sides and feed into an underground reservoir which in turn feeds into the river cutting through the canyon. This is a special place, standing still in time, isolated from the outside world, it truly feels prehistoric. DO Arabako is one of three DO’s designated for Txakolina in Spain’s Basque country. The soil here is alluvial sand over clay limestone. The clay limestone combined with the long growing season means a fuller expression of the Hondurrabi Zuri grape (the white grape of Txakolina). 2018 Tantaka Txakolina leads with golden apple, peach and cinnamon, with secondary notes of white flowers, anise and celery leaf.