From our Importer: One of Iroulegy’s longstanding producers is Peio Espil at Domaine Ilarria. In fact, until 1990, he was one of just two independent producers in the appellation, which was traditionally dominated by the cooperative. Peio grew up in the region, a descendant of multiple generations who also inhabited the white stone house where he currently lives and works with his wife Lucie and their two boys. In this part of the Pyrénées, where the mountains begin to lose altitude as they weave their way toward the north of Spain, large domes of green grass cover the mounds—more so than snow that covers the granite peaks seen further east. It is a bucolic setting, with hundreds of sheep grazing the hills and where elongated white houses with red tile roofs dot the countryside.

While geographically in the same department (Pyrenées-Atlantiques), as Jurançon and Béarn, Irouleguy is firmly part of the Pays Basque or Basque country, an area that extends up the Atlantic coast and into Spain (about 15% of the Basque territory is in France). Peio and his family, as well as their neighbors in the small town of just over 300 inhabitants, communicate primarily through this ancient endangered language. Of course everyone also speaks French, but Basque is the language that first rolls off their tongues.

Instead of doing military service, Peio spent 2 years in Africa working for the peace corps. When he returned to France, he studied winemaking at La Tour Blanche in Sauternes and later worked at Domaine Cauhapé in Jurançon. He returned to the family domaine in 1988, where he continued working alongside his father. Peio now farms 10 hectares of vines, located along the steep hillsides a couple of kilometers from his house. Three of these are planted with local white grapes (Petit Manseng and Courbu) and 7 with red grapes (45% Tannat, 35% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon).

Way back in 2005 Peio began eliminating the use of weed killers and synthetic chemical sprays, and the domaine has been certified organic through Ecocert since 2008. Working completely organically, he feels he obtains a stronger, more natural yeast formation within his vineyards. While many producers in the region have carved out terrasses along the hillsides, Peio prefers to plant top to bottom, feeling it creates less erosion. In addition, while many of the vineyards of Irouléguy are planted on iron-rich, red soils, most of Peio’s plantings are on gray limestone, which gives a particular mineral lift to the domaine’s wines. Yields are kept low, 25-30 hl/ha, and the proximity to the ocean as well as the warm winds from the south contribute to the almost ideal growing conditions.

All grapes are 100% hand-harvested and destemmed. Only indigenous yeasts are used, and all wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks. The white wine then spends 12 months in 700-liter used oak barrels, while the red spends between 16 and 24 months in 225-liter used oak barrels. All wines are unfined and only the white and rosé are lightly filtered before being bottled. With a tiny production of just around 30,000 bottles a year, Ilarria stands out in the appellation and in our portfolio as a truly special domaine.

A blend of 60% Petit Courbu and 40% Petit Manseng from limestone soils, with a skin-contact maceration for the Petit Manseng, followed by malolactic fermentation and aging in tank and (sur lie) in barrel for the blended wine. A pleasantly round wine, this dry white is marked by tropical fruit notes. A highly ageable white, it can be paired with the regional cheeses as well as chicken and pork dishes.

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