Basque in brilliance..

ANGIE Phillips warned us the other day not to put the winter coats away which left me somewhat worried about my outdoor cooking and drinking plans. The blue skies have certainly lifted the spirits, but it’s still fairly crisp of an evening so we’re hardly in summer drinking territory quite yet.

Anyway, Sunday is roast lamb time so a quality red is in order. I headed over to that new Crafty Vintner on the Lisburn Road for a change. Well, I was en route to a torturous but highly effective sports massage so thought I’d swing by in case I needed any pain relief that evening.

I’d my heart set on a bottle of the excellent Echeverria Pinot Noir which I have no doubt will be a perfect partner for the lamb.

But obviously being like a child in a sweet shop when I’m in a good offie, I had a quick perusal of the shelves.

It’s a nice set-up with all manner of tempting quality vino. But, always on the lookout for something a little different, I spied a peculiar looking bottle which for some reason I initially thought was Greek.

But then I figured out the grape variety was Hondarrabi Zuri. I’m not going to pretend I’d ever heard of it, but I was sure it sounded Basque.

Turns out Hondarribia is the local town while Zuri is Basque for white.

At only 11% and being a variety I’d never heard of I wasn’t sure what to expect. On its initial pour I was a little taken aback by a hint of effervescence. It quickly subsided though to reveal a pale silver wine with a striking minerality, white flowers and sharp green apples on the nose.

First taste and those aromas followed through with an almost electric metallic zest and a nice length which saw the fruit notes go deeper, towards a more baked pear hit. Perfect for the sort of Tapas you’d be drinking it with on the streets of San Sebastian.

As for tomorrow, I did get a bottle of the Echeverria which at £12/13 is a great value Pinot. With a leg of lamb, you could drink pretty much anything though a beast of a wine like a Zinfandel might overpower it.

Pinot is often seen as a good match or Rioja if you fancy something a little heavier, although if it’s a Rioja with plenty of time in the bottle that can be relatively light too, albeit with muscle and spice and all things nice.

Perfect for drinking with Tapas in the streets of San Sebastian