Adur

It is beautiful, in the tiny DO Getariako Txakolina on the northern coast of the Spanish Basque Country. Hills, lots of green, small vineyards right on the sea. But making wine easily is not an option here. The climate is humid and cool, the grapes are difficult to ripen: as a winegrower you really have to know what you are doing.

Maitena Barrero and Héctor Gómez know exactly what they are doing. They both graduated as agricultural engineers and oenologists, and have extensive experience as winemakers at companies all over the world. They combine different pruning and tying techniques in the vineyard – traditional and new together – to keep their grapes dry and free of disease. Thanks to their eye for detail and hard work, their vines are beautifully healthy. However, they themselves believe that you also need a bit of luck. The Basque language has a beautiful word for that: adur. And so that became the name of the company.

The couple owns 2.5 hectares of vineyard in the village of Getaria. There they grow one grape variety: the white hondarrabi zuri. This grape is only found in the Basque Country and with its small grapes with thick skins it is well-suited to the cool climate. And the fertile, humus-rich soil – a mixture of limestone and clay, covered with a layer of sand containing clay and silt – compensates for the lack of sun. Growing grapes here is a balancing act that Maitena and Héctor master perfectly. They also work in such a way that all parts of their company contribute to sustainable, environmentally friendly production.

In the cellar of Adur, the grapes are processed into wine with as little intervention as possible and a minimal dose of sulphites. The DO Getariako Txakolina is known for its deliciously fresh wines with little alcohol. The wines of Adur are also delightfully light and fresh, but have something extra: Maitena and Héctor let them mature for a long time on the lees, in both stainless steel tanks and wooden barrels, and then also in the bottle. This produces a wonderfully full, rich mouthfeel, and makes the wines from this brilliant couple so fantastically tasty.