Arretxea

The Arretxea wine estate is located in the heart of the Basque Country. It's one of the most beautiful vineyards in France. The steep slopes and terraced vineyards face the Pyrenees mountain range. The Riouspeyrous family settled in the magnificent commune of Irouleguy, which bears the appellation's name. Almost 30 years ago, they set about restoring a strong identity and value to Irouleguy, which was still little known, if not despised, by wine lovers.

It was at this time that the Arretxea wine estate began its quest to become the powerhouse of Southwestern wines. The artisan winemaker's craft took on a new meaning, highlighting the importance of respecting the terroir.

Year after year, the whole family sets to work to produce highly complex wines. They study every nook and cranny of their singular terroir, which, it should be remembered, has a long history, with traces of vineyards dating back to the ^12th century.

Working the vines biodynamically and creating micro-cuvées on a parcel-by-parcel basis has given their wines a strong identity. The Riouspeyrous family made this choice of parcels because the diversity of the terroir is incredibly varied. They naturally chose to separate grapes from sandstone, schist and ophite vines.

This approach has borne fruit, as they are now present in some of the world's finest establishments. Their sincere and honest work has impressed many tasters.

All their wines are of irreproachable quality, from the classic Irouleguy to the cuvée Haitza and the extremely rare whites.