Arretxea Estate

Domaine Arretxea was created in the 1990s by Thérèse and Michel Riouspeyrous in the heart of the magnificent Basque vineyard of Irouleguy. Located on the southern flank of the Western Pyrenees, the estate benefits from an altitude between 200m and 400m all around Saint Etienne de Baïgorry and Saint Jean Pied de Port. The estate, since the installation with them of their two sons Iban and Teo, extends over 12 ha: 4.5 ha of white grapes (Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu) and 7.5 ha of red (Tannat mainly Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon). The vineyard is located in a majestic landscape on steep hillsides and terraces, surrounded by mountains, Basque valleys and benefiting from the Foehn effect of the south winds in the late season. Certified in organic farming since 1998 and in biodynamics, the family works without chemical fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides and seeks to have living biodiversity by working on the development of a rich and varied ecosystem. They also work to safeguard their plant heritage, one of their favorite things. All harvests are done manually in crates and with particular attention to sorting the grapes in order to pick the healthiest grapes possible. In the cellar, fermentations are started from stock with native yeasts; the estate carries out real work to select native yeasts on their own terroir in order to maintain a unity of style. Aging on the lees with light stirring is then carried out in order to bring a certain roundness to the grape varieties which can sometimes appear hard and sometimes austere. No wine is subsequently fined, but lightly filtered according to the profile of the vintage.