Oxer Matalaz 2024
20.46₣ (Exc. VAT bot. 75 cl.) / Switzerland
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The entry-level red 2024 Matalaz was produced with a mixture of Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Viura and very little Graciano (because he thinks it marks the blends too much) from vines in the villages of La Puebla de la Barca and Laguardia. It fermented in a semi-carbonic maceration in 6,500-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in those vats for six to seven months. This is very clean, perfumed and expressive, a little creamier and with a little more approachable profile than the other reds. The 2024s were picked early and have contained ripeness, and this one has 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. It's clean, fine-boned and balanced, with fine tannins. This is a great step up from the 2023. 9,600 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2025.
Features
Type of wine
Pairings
Style
Occasions
Winery
Size
Appellation
Alcohol
13.5%
Grapes
Serving
Between 16ºC and 18ºC
Winemaking
Fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak foudres with 20% stems. Aged for 8 months in 500 litre French oak barrels.
Description
The history of Matalaz was born of dissidence. Oxer Bastegieta, a restless oenologist from the Basque Country, found in the Rioja Alavesa a land where he could break the mould. Instead of following the mainstream, he opted for small plots in Laguardia and La Puebla de la Barca, where Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Viura coexist. In poor, stony, limestone soils, he wanted to make a wine that spoke of the essential, without artifice. In one of his first harvests, he rejected an offer to increase the volume with external grapes. It was a risky decision, but he made it clear that Matalaz was not going to dilute its character.
Winemaking
The grapes are harvested by hand, with selection in the vineyard. The grapes destined for Matalaz are fermented by semi-carbonic maceration in large 6,500-litre oak vats, where they are also aged for six to seven months. This technique allows to preserve the fruity character and to obtain a more fluid texture, without losing structure. Matalaz was bottled in May, without oenological make-up, seeking authenticity.
Taste
Matalaz is not a complacent wine. On the nose it offers notes of tempera, damp earth and black liquorice, with a background of sober cherry, dry leaf and a metallic, almost ferrous touch. Some herbal nuances (rosemary, thyme ) and balsamic notes appear with oxygen, but always in an austere key. On the palate, the wine is dry, with firm tannins and a vertical structure. There is a subtle acidity that sustains without dominating, and a mineral and earthy finish, with hints of bitter cocoa, crushed stone and a persistent tension. It does not seek fruit or volume, but precision, identity and nerve. Ideal for those who enjoy wines with character, without ornamentation, where the landscape rules.
Shipping to Switzerland
50% discount on orders over 369.91₣*Estimated transit time: 6-7 working days.
| Bottles | Price | Over 369.91₣* |
|---|---|---|
| 1-6 | 36.53₣ | 18.26₣ (-18.26₣) |
| 7-12 | 46.05₣ | 23.03₣ (-23.03₣) |
| 13-18 | 49.38₣ | 24.69₣ (-24.69₣) |
| 19-24 | 55.30₣ | 27.65₣ (-27.65₣) |
| 25-30 | 66.21₣ | 33.11₣ (-33.11₣) |
| 31-36 | 80.36₣ | 40.18₣ (-40.18₣) |
| 37-42 | 88.31₣ | 44.16₣ (-44.16₣) |
| 43-48 | 129.28₣ | 64.64₣ (-64.64₣) |
| 49-54 | 131.59₣ | 65.80₣ (-65.80₣) |
| 55-60 | 137.79₣ | 68.89₣ (-68.89₣) |
| VAT not included | ||
** Shipments to Switzerland include transport costs, insurance and export costs (SAD in origin), but not customs duties (SAD at destination) and local taxes.
***At Gourmet Hunters wine prices are exempt from 21% VAT for all shipments to Switzerland. Once in your shopping cart select Switzerland as delivery address to enjoy your order tax free.
