Domaine Arretxea, Irouleguy Rouge, 2023
Domaine Arretxea is one of the benchmarks of Irouléguy, the remote AOC in France’s Basque country, nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Founded in the early 1990s by Thérèse and Michel Riouspeyrous, the domaine is now run by their sons, who continue farming biodynamically and making wines that are bold, structured, and grounded in place.
The 2023 Rouge is a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on steep, terraced vineyards with a mix of schist and limestone soils. It’s fermented with native yeasts, aged in a mix of concrete and old oak, and bottled with minimal intervention.
The wine is dark and savory, but lifted by mountain freshness. Expect notes of black cherry, wild herbs, tobacco, and crushed stone, with firm but polished tannins. It’s more approachable than many Tannat-based wines in its youth, but still built for hearty food—and even better with a few years in bottle.
This is not your average southwestern red—it’s rugged, soulful, and unmistakably Basque.
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Description
Domaine Arretxea is one of the benchmarks of Irouléguy, the remote AOC in France’s Basque country, nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Founded in the early 1990s by Thérèse and Michel Riouspeyrous, the domaine is now run by their sons, who continue farming biodynamically and making wines that are bold, structured, and grounded in place.
The 2023 Rouge is a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on steep, terraced vineyards with a mix of schist and limestone soils. It’s fermented with native yeasts, aged in a mix of concrete and old oak, and bottled with minimal intervention.
The wine is dark and savory, but lifted by mountain freshness. Expect notes of black cherry, wild herbs, tobacco, and crushed stone, with firm but polished tannins. It’s more approachable than many Tannat-based wines in its youth, but still built for hearty food—and even better with a few years in bottle.
This is not your average southwestern red—it’s rugged, soulful, and unmistakably Basque.
