Ameztoi is a long-standing txakoli producer based in the coastal village of Getaria in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country). Five generations of the Ameztoi family have tended vines and made wines in the area.
They own 40 hectares of vineyards and rent an additional 10 hectares. Most of the plots enjoy fabulous sea views framed against the picturesque fishing village of Getaria. Two indigenous grape varieties are grown: the white Hondarrabi Zuri and the red Hondarrabi Beltza (zuri means white in Basque and beltza is red).
Ameztoi has developed its own selection of yeasts. The style of the wines is in line with the majority in the DO Getariako Txakolina —low alcohol (usually between 10,5% and 11,5% vol.) with petillance, in contrast with txakolis from the neighbouring provinces of Bizkaia and Álava, with barely a trace of carbon dioxide. Ameztoi keeps wines in hermetically sealed stainless steel tanks at 7ºC all year long to preserve the spritz.
Total production stands at around 450,000 bottles. All white wines are made with Hondarrabi Zuri. The most popular is Ameztoi (90,000 bottles, €8), a fresh entry-level txakoli with green apple notes and that trademark petillance. A step up is Ameztoi Primus (€11), a great value txakoli on its lees with complex, floral, talcum powder notes and a mineral finish.
Beyond the traditional styles, the winery produces an oak-aged txakoli, Kirikilla Ameztoi (around €13), as well as a low alcohol white called Ameztoi 9.6, which we found of little interest given the presence of residual sugar.
The most original wine in the range is probably the rosé Ameztoi Rubentis (100,000 bottles, €8), with equal parts of Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza that are blended at the beginning of the winemaking process. Bunches undergo a short maceration before they are pressed. The wine displays the slightly wild, lively character of the red Hondarrabi Beltza variety. There is also the single-varietal red Ameztoi Stimatum. It is produced in very small quantities and most bottles are sold in the US.
20% of the wines are sold abroad with the US as Ameztoi’s leading market.
