Domaine Amama Etxaldea - Zain - White 2023
Domaine Amama Etxaldea is located in Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry, in the Basque Country . It was founded in 2022 by Joanes Haritschelhar , a winemaker trained in Bordeaux, and Naiara Cuburu , a former artist who became a market gardener and sommelier. The name "Amama" means "grandmother" in Basque, in homage to family memory and the nourishing earth. The couple took over a family farm to convert it into an organic vineyard, with practices inspired by biodynamics: sowing cover crops, using natural preparations (liquid manure, decoctions, herbal teas), working according to the lunar calendar, and grazing sheep in the vines to enrich the soil. The estate covers approximately 3 hectares , spread over several small plots with varied soils (sandstone, marl, ophite), located between Baïgorry, Irouléguy and Anhaux. The vinification is done in an artisanal manner, using indigenous yeasts, without additives or corrections, with minimal intervention in the cellar.
Zain is a blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng . The vines are grown on the Menta plot, composed of packed sandstone and quartzite.
Grape varieties: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng
"Zain 2023 embodies Basque freshness in a bottle: a lemony, taut nose with notes of hawthorn, zest, and a hint of muscatel. A lively, straightforward, and expressive white, calling for a plate of spider crab."