Oxer Wines

Oxer Bastegieta is one of the Basque Country's most singular winemakers, someone who moves across three Spanish denominations and brings a coherent, artisan sensibility to each of them. Based in the Basque region, he produces wines in Bizkaiko Txakolina, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Alta, always working with old vines and organic or biodynamic practices that prioritise the expression of specific vineyard plots over any house style.

The starting point of the Oxer range is Txakoli, the ancestral white wine of the Basque coast. The Marko, named after Oxer's family farmhouse and the vineyards that surround it in the village of Kortezubi, is made from Hondarribi Zuri Zerratia and Hondarribi Zuri, the traditional Basque white varieties. It is aged on its lees for four months, giving it a texture and completeness that goes well beyond the simple, zippy Txakoli the category is known for. The Marko Gure Arbasoak, meaning "our ancestors" in Basque, takes this a step further with barrel fermentation, adding weight and complexity while keeping the variety's vivid saline finish.

In Rioja, Oxer works with century-old Garnacha and Tempranillo vines from specific parcels in Cárdenas and Elvillar in the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa sub-zones respectively. Kalamity, often described as his masterpiece, blends Tempranillo from 1903-planted vines with Garnacha from equally ancient plots. Aged 12 months in French oak and foudres, it is electric and layered, with black forest fruit, violets, and a mineral backbone that speaks directly of its old-vine origins. Suzzane, inspired by the Leonard Cohen song, is 100% Garnacha from 100-year-old vines in Cárdenas, aged in used French oak and concrete eggs, combining velvet texture with a cool, tobacco-laced freshness.

Tartalo, named after the one-eyed giant of Basque mythology, is a Tempranillo-dominant blend from a single 0.7-hectare plot in Elvillar, planted in 1920 at 600 metres altitude, bringing a chalky minerality and spice that rewards patience in the glass.

Briffa Wine Selections is the exclusive importer of Oxer wines in Malta. The full range, from the Atlantic-fresh Marko Txakoli to the monumental Kalamity, is available only through us. Explore and order online.