The Gorrondona brand dates from the 1970s, but the current Doniene Gorrondona business was established in 1996, when a group of partners with complementary professional backgrounds purchased a winery in Bakio, on the coast of Bizkaia Their goal was to raise the profile of the local wines, which had a poor reputation at the time. These were the initial stages of modern txakoli, a movement driven and supported by the Department of Agriculture of the Basque Government and the creation of the DO Bizkaiko Txakolina in 1994.

The team includes agronomist Julen Frías, who looks after the vineyards, oenologist Itziar Insausti, and her brother Egoitz, who studied chemistry and is involved in both vineyard management and winemaking.

In Basque, Doniene means Saint John, the patron saint of Bakio, whose shrine crowns the summit of the beautiful San Juan de Gaztelugatxe islet nearby, the inspiration for Dragonstone in the Game of Thrones series. Gorrondona is the name of the farmhouse/winery, which dates back to 1852. 

Doniene Gorrondona farms 14 ha in Bakio, a village which, according to the team, is "the cradle and benchmark of txakoli", and in the surrounding area. Half of the vineyards are rented, while seven hectares are newly planted, making the winery almost self-sufficient. Most of the vineyards face away from the sea, but the proximity of the coast still brings briny and iodine notes to the wines.

Atlantic climate

The plots closest to the coast, where the red Hondarrabi Beltza is the predominant variety, lie next to the winery. However, most of the vineyards are in Basigo, on the opposite bank of the River Zarraga. The area's geology is linked to the Bakio diapir, an uplift that has brought ancient materials such as clay and igneous rocks like ophite to the surface. The terrain changes considerably at Irimingorrieta, the winery's highest plot at 250 metres, which extends inland towards the town of Mungia. Covering five hectares of previously uncultivated mountainous terrain, the area has poor soils consisting of iron-rich clay, lutite, slate and schist over sandstone.

Doniene Gorrondona are strong advocates of local grapes, notably Hondarrabi Zuria and Hondarrabi Beltza (zuri means white in Basque; beltza is red). Folle Blanche, locally known as Mune Mahatsa, represents a small part of plantings and is gradually being replaced. In response to climate change, the estate is also introducing Hondarrabi Zuri Zerratia (Petit Courbu), a variety that previously struggled to ripen in coastal areas, as well as Petit Manseng (Izkiriota Ttipia in Basque). Yields are kept below 7,000 kg/ha.

Rather than obsessing over organic certification in an area under intense pressure from moisture, Doniene Gorrondona is prioritising soil management and achieving plant balance through regenerative farming techniques. The team uses biols —fertilisers produced through anaerobic fermentation— as well as herbal decoctions and fermented preparations made from plants such as horsetail, camomile and yarrow. These treatments enhance the efficacy of applications, allowing them to reduce both dosage and frequency.

White txakoli

Production stands around 80,000 bottles. The range begins with Gorrondona (around 40,000–50,000 bottles, €14, Rhine bottle), a blend of Hondarrabi Zuria with small amounts of Hondarrabi Beltza made as a blanc de noirs and Folle Blanche. Fermented in stainless steel with some lees ageing, it combines grapes from the estate’s own vineyards with fruit bought from local winegrowers. The result is a quintessential Bizkaia txakoli: floral and lively, with bright acidity balanced by saline and gently bitter notes.

Doniene (around 20,000 bottles, €17) is made from grapes grown in four vineyards in the Basigo area. This white wine is aged on lees, followed by further bottle ageing before release, adding complexity and balance while preserving the area's signature acidity. The style changes markedly with Iri ( 5,000 bottles, €21), one of the estate’s most original and gastronomic whites. Made without added sulphur and allowed to undergo complete malolactic fermentation, it comes from Irimingorrieta, Donienen Gorrondona’s highest vineyard and the last to ripen. Iri displays a combination of honeyed, slightly oxidative aromas and a taut, deep and persistent palate.

Since 2011, when the winery stopped using selected yeasts, skin maceration has been limited to the time strictly necessary for pressing. This also led to the discovery of a much wider range of yeasts beyond Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with significant differences between vineyards. Fermentations are now monitored under the microscope to gain a better understanding of what happens during this process.

The oaked whites start with Ondarea ( 3,000 bottles, €25), a single-vineyard Hondarrabi Zuria from the winery's original vineyard, planted in 1995 on red clay soils. Produced since the 2000 vintage, the wine has been gradually refined through the use of larger barrels and, since 2022, the incorporation of chestnut vessels. It is balanced and elegant, with a slightly creamier texture and mouth-watering juiciness. With longer ageing, XX (fewer than 1,000 bottles, €40, Burgundy-shaped bottle) seeks greater concentration in all aspects, requiring further development in the bottle. The grapes come from three plots on either side of the river, one of them planted with Izkiriota Ttipia (Petit Manseng).

Doniene Gorrondona was a pioneer of traditional method sparkling wine in the DO. Made from Hondarrabi Zuria and a small percentage of Folle Blanche, Apardune ( 3,000 bottles, €35) is really fresh, with subtle salty notes and small, well-integrated bubbles.

Hondarrabi Beltza

Red txakoli is another key focus. With deep roots in Bakio, Doniene Gorrondona sourced plant material from very old Hondarrabi Beltza vines and now grows just over two hectares of the variety.

The main testing ground has been Beltza ( 4,000–6,000 bottles, €19), a red wine that has been produced for over 25 years. It was initially made from old pergola plantings and, as these were gradually uprooted, has increasingly come from the winery's own vineyards. For a long time, the US was its main market. Its somewhat wild, rustic and peppery style, reminiscent of certain French Cabernet Francs to which Hondarrabi Beltza is related, proved difficult to sell in Spain at a time when consumers favoured more powerful reds. 

The 2019 vintage saw the launch of Ho-Be (it means ‘better’ in Basque and it stands for the variety's initials), a red wine that spends just four months in oak, followed by a  year in tank and another year in bottle. This extended resting period helps refine the wine's Atlantic freshness and soften the tannins. With time, the nose develops honeyed and wild berry aromas, while the acidity brings freshness and elegance to the palate. The grapes come from the shallower soils of the vineyard next to the winery, set on an impenetrable clay horizon that limits vigour and  encourages more even ripening.

The latest release, from the 2024 vintage is Lipar (€28), with just 600 bottles available, although production is set to double in subsequent vintages. Presented in a Burgundy-shaped bottle, it is a Hondarrabi Beltza saignée rosé fermented and aged for nine months in a chestnut cask.

Spirits

While it may be surprising to find a distillery operating next to the winery, it makes perfect sense to put the grape marc to use, both for composting  and distillation. Doniene Gorrondona is championing artisanal pomace spirits, designed to be enjoyed neat or used as the basis for cocktails that showcase genuine local produce. Its involvement in Destilatu, a new association of high-quality Basque distillers of which Doniene Gorrondona is a founding member, further reinforces this philosophy.

Single-distillation and the strict selection of the middle portion, or 'heart', are key to their philosophy. “Grape marc is quite pure, with a grape-like aroma and nutty notes. However, if it is redistilled, it becomes more neutral, as if it requires some additional infusion,” explains Itziar Insausti. The white pomace spirit Zuri (45% abv) embodies this philosophy perfectly. Belar undergoes an additional maceration with herbs and seeds, with the alcohol reduced to 38% abv to soften its astringency. Finally, Alga relies on a maceration of seaweed and coastal herbs, giving it a distinctive briny character.