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.
Domaine Didier Dagueneau is one of the greatest names in French viticulture. Anyone who has tasted his great Sauvignon wines, such as the cuvée Pur Sang or Silex , knows why they are incomparable. Louis Benjamin and Charlotte Dagueneau took over the wine estate more than 10 years ago, and are breathing new life into the wines, bringing out even more minerality. An absolute model for all lovers of great Pouilly Fumé.
The terroir, the vines and the grapes are worked like haute couture as handed down to them by their father Didier, who passed away prematurely. The level of demand and excellence has never been so high in the last 3 years. We all experienced a moment of hesitation in the wines during the first 5 vintages after Didier's death, but today the wines are regaining all their complexity and elegance.
Although Didier and now Louis Benjamin never wanted to certify their wine estate, they have always been guided by principles they consider essential: respect for the plant and the soil. This is achieved through a global vision of biodynamic viticulture.
Whatever the vintage, Louis Benjamin Dagueneau never stops in his quest for perfection. That's why the sorting in the vineyard is very strict, the winemaking natural and the ageing long and precise.
At the end of the day, each of the parcels vinified gives the best and, above all, expresses a singular personality. Through this meticulous and rigorous work, Louis Benjamin wishes to pay tribute to his father, who was for a long time an icon of French viticulture, and will remain so through the wines produced today at the wine estate.
The André Perret wine estate is located 50 km south of Lyon and covers around 13 hectares of vines on the right bank of the Rhône. It benefits from the best climates in the Condrieu and Saint Joseph appellations .
André Perret took over the wine estate in 1982, with most of the vines cultivated on steep, terraced slopes. The soil is essentially granitic, crumbly and susceptible to erosion.
Under André Perret's influence, the estate, which was initially devoted to mixed farming, has undergone a veritable revival. Today, André Perret's respect for the environment has led to the production of highly reputed wines. Vineyard yields are controlled, grapes are tended and harvested by hand, and winemaking follows a natural process to produce cuvées of Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Côtes-du-Rhône or varietal wines. The Coteau de Chéry and the Clos Chanson, where the André Perret wine estate cultivates a number of plots, are two of the estate's most famous vineyards.
André Perret has turned his passion into a profession, and is committed to preserving the terroir entrusted to him. It's his daily battle not to alter nature's character, even if it can sometimes impose certain constraints, due in particular to the steep, terraced slopes.
André Perret's yields are very low, so the wines are sold under allocation. This demand, and hence rarity, is the legitimate reward for painstaking work in both vineyard and cellar.
We've fallen in love with his Condrieu wines, which are without doubt among the best in the appellation.
Champagne Jacquesson
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Maison de Champagne Jacquesson, founded in 1798, is a prestigious champagne house located in Dizy, in the Champagne region of France. It is renowned for its long history, its commitment to quality and its unique approach to the elaboration of its cuvées.
It's an exemplary Champagne house, thanks to the two Chiquet brothers. Today, despite the entry of François-Henri Pinault as a minority shareholder, they continue to control the entire process that led them to excellence. The wines have a remarkable level and personality that is the envy of many champagne houses. Even if success is the order of the day, the volume of wines remains under control.
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