Itxas Harri
Navarra
Itxas Harri is a collaboration between Ignacio Ameztoi and Iñaki Guelbenzu, dedicated to making refreshing, low-alcohol Basque table wines from old-vine garnacha in Navarra. Their wines celebrate the flavors, memories, and relationships formed around the communal table.
Introducing the Estate
True Gastronomic Wines
Ignacio Ameztoi and his friend Iñaki Guelbenzu love to eat. Their tables are always overflowing with the bounty of food that can be found in the Basque Country, and a good bottle of wine is never far away. Inspired by the legendary produce of the culturally Basque region of Navarra, they decided to make wines designed to perfectly complement the local cuisine. Itxas Harri, or “Sea Stone” delivers delicious, quaffable wines that celebrate freshness, conviviality, and the simple pleasure of gathering around the table.
History & Origins
A Wealth of Produce
The Kingdom of Navarra developed a reputation for incredible food and wine during the late Middle Ages, as pilgrims from France traveled through the region on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Today, Navarra is known throughout Spain for top-quality produce such as white asparagus, piquillo peppers, artichokes, as well as its sheep’s milk cheeses like Roncal and Idiazábal, Txistorra sausage, and hearty, garnacha-based red wines.
The Vision Behind Itxas Harri
In Search of the Perfect Pairing
Navarra native Iñaki Guelbenzu is a consummate gastronome, with an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional Basque cuisine. He introduced his friend Ignacio Ameztoi to the amazing variety of ingredients from Navarra, and the two made a point of seeking out the best local products whenever they visited the area. These culinary field trips eventually grew into a plan to make wines that would epitomize the phrase “what grows together, goes together.”
Inspired by the versatility of Navarra’s wines, they set out to make wines that could complement hard-to-pair vegetables, like the local artichoke. They asked older farmers where to find the best plots, and were finally able to convince one of them to sell them two hectares of old vines upon his retirement.
Process & Philosophy
Patient and Unpretentious
The Itxas Harri vineyard is in Monteagudo, a village known as one of the best locations for old-vine garnacha and tempranillo in Navarra. The area was once an ancient seabed with mixed alluvial soil from the Ebro River plain, and the climate is an interesting confluence of Atlantic, Continental, and Mediterranean influences.
Monteagudo is in a zone known as the Ribera Baja, at Navarra’s southern tip. Most of the Ribera Baja sits on a plain inside the arid Ebro River basin, between Aragón and La Rioja. To the southwest is the majestic Sierra del Moncayo mountain range, overlooking vineyards in both Navarra and Aragón. The area is home to small, family-owned vegetable farms and a handful of wineries who farm old vines of garnacha.
The duo make two wines. Róxa, or “rosé” in Basque, is an elegant, refreshing direct-press rosé that pairs beautifully with the vegetables for which Navarra is so famous. Beltza, or “black” in Basque—or “red” in the context of wine—is a quaffable, refreshing, crunchy expression of garnacha that makes an easy pairing for any dish.
Iñaki and Ignacio’s patient search for the right site paid off: though the vineyard is far from the sea, their wines have a coastal freshness and lower alcohol levels than we would associate with arid, inland Spain. Like the exceptional, uncomplicated ingredients they compliment, Itxas Harri shows that simple, refreshing wines can elevate the dining experience to new heights, especially when paired with good food and good friends.
Products
Wine
Itxas Harri Ŕoxa 2022
