Tantaka

La Bodega Tantaka was established in 2017 under the leadership of the winemaker Juan Tellaetxe. Juanjo Tellaetxe is 45 years old and worked as a priest and shepherd, a real man of the earth, until a few years ago — when he left to manage his family vineyards as they did more than 80 years ago, in his hometown.

He’s based in the southern part of Txakoli, south of Bilbao, right up in the hills in Orduña in the Arabako Valley.

The keys to Juanjo’s success are respecting the region’s native grape varieties and precisely timing the ideal harvest moment to achieve a good ripening. He’s also not scared to work with new types of oak barrels, grape varieties as Riesling, and micro-oxygenation on the vinification. His project is based on absolute care for the local grape varieties; respect and attention to the soil and the climate as differentiating factors; careful execution of vineyard tasks through techniques which respect and protect the environment; and vocation and professionality in the production of wines, avoiding manipulation and masking.

It is important to highlight that this is an inland area sheltered by high hills, with moderate temperatures throughout the year. The orography of his valley, Arrastaria, offers a rich landscape — flood plains and meadows on one side, and steep hills with centenary oak and beech woods on the other, guarded by the impressive vertical walls of the Sierra Salvada-Gorobel. All these factors combined provide the ideal conditions for optimum ripening of the native varieties.

Another highlight of Juanjo’s portfolio is the soils where the vineyards are planted, at Artomaña — formed by materials from the river Nervión and from the erosion of the karstic complex of Sierra Salvada-Gorobel. Integral management of soils through spontaneous vegetation cover, and herbicides are forbidden.

This attention to detail is possible because he produces a very limited number of wines each year, allowing him to focus on quality over quantity.