K5 Sobre Lías 2020
An exceptional txakoli for laying down from chef Arguiñano
Great things are in store for chef Karlos Arguiñano’s winemaking venture if the exceptional results of this txakoli for laying down are anything to go by. K5 Sobre Lías 2020 brings out all the character and personality of the native Basque Hondarrbai Zuri grape variety. Matured on the lees for 11 months, it looks set to age beautifully in the bottle.
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General features
General Information
The small D.O. Getariako Txakolina is undergoing a revamp. The txakoli from Getaria (province of Guipúzcoa, Basque Country) is no longer an extremely acidic wine that needs to be drunk quickly. Its quality has greatly improved and new styles have emerged. Take K5 Sobre Lías 2020, for instance. This white wine is made from the native Hondarrabi Zuri variety and comes from the winery’s own espalier-trained vineyards that lie at an altitude of 300 m, from which the Cantabrian Sea is visible.
These vines have low yields – between 1.5 and 2 kg each – and therefore produce grapes with a very good concentration of aromas and flavours. The Atlantic climate and the altitude of the estate, wiyh marked temperature contrasts, are conducive to slow ripening, good aeration and fresher wines. In addition, the granitic soils with slate shale have also left their mark in the form of minerally notes that lend the wine elegance.
The bunches were sorted by hand and the grapes came in from the vineyard using a gravity-flow system. Pre-fermentative maceration and fermentation were carried out in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts, using only the free-run must. This white wine was left to mature on the lees for at least 11 months in stainless steel vats.
Bodega K5 was founded in 2005 by chef Karlos Arguiñano together with a group of friends. The winery is located in the municipality of Aia, near Zarautz (Guipúzcoa). The facilities, designed by architects Alonso & Balaguer, display a sober design and blend in perfectly with the landscape. The vineyards stretch across an attractive rugged terrain with different orientations and exposures.
The vineyard was planted over a 15-hectare area of land on slopes and among forests, solely with the Hondarrabi Zuri variety. The firm employs practices that are respectful of the environment, preserving the plant cover and allowing sheep to graze there to help maintain the vines.
K5 Sobre Lías 2020 (D.O. Getariako Txakolina) is perfect with seafood and foie, as well as with grilled turbot.
Creators' opinion
Bright, limpid and clear, of medium intensity, pale greenish-yellow with lemony glints. Intense nose with notes of apple and clear minerally hints from the terroir. Prominent notes of white flowers such as camomile and citrus fruits including grapefruit and lemon, with salty background notes that recall the Cantabrian. Full on the palate, round and glycerous but preserving the characteristic fresh and Atlantic character of txakolis. Its acidity gives it laying down potential while it matures in the bottle.
The winery
Bodega K5, founded in 2005, is a project by chef Karlos Arguiñano and his friends, created with the aim of producing a gastronomic txakoli, and now driven by a second generation of young women. The winery is located in the municipality of Aia, near Zarautz (Guipúzcoa), and works exclusively with the local hondarrabi zuri variety from its own vineyards.
The vineyards stretch close to the winery, covering an area of 15 hectares at an altitude of 300 m, in a beautiful setting with views of the Cantabrian Sea. The vines are trellised, with different orientations and exposures, and have very low yields, between 1.5 and 2 kg per plant, resulting in grapes with excellent concentration of aromas and flavors. The Atlantic climate and the altitude of the estate, with significant temperature contrasts, encourage slow ripening, good aeration, and the production of wines with greater freshness. Additionally, the granitic soils with slate schists also leave their mark with mineral notes that bring elegance to the wine.
One of the main goals of the winery is to achieve a sustainable estate, respecting the local fauna and flora. In fact, sheep are allowed to graze among the vines to help with maintenance, and the natural vegetation cover is preserved. Meanwhile, the winery facilities, designed by architects Alonso & Balaguer, are perfectly integrated into the landscape. K5 relies on lees aging for all its wines, a characteristic that allows them to produce complex whites that evolve exceptionally in the bottle.