Irouléguy AOC

This small appellation in the south-east corner of the south-west wine region of France was classified in 1970. It is located on the Spanish border in the French Basque Country, just opposite the Spanish region of Chacolí de Guetaria. They were both a flourishing wine-growing area during the time of the Kingdom of Navarre (which covered an area from Barcelona to Bordeaux), founded at the beginning of the 10th century. The terraced vineyards, at altitudes of up to 400 metres above sea level, cover some 215 hectares of vineyards on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees in 15 municipalities, including the Irouléguy that gives the region its name. The climate is influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

The mainly produced rosé wine and the red wine similar to Madiran are blended from the varieties Tannat, Achéria(Cabernet Franc) and Cabernet Sauvignon. For the white wine produced in small quantities, the varieties Courbu Blanc (Hondarribi Zuri), Petit Courbu (Xuri Zerratu) and Gros Manseng are permitted. Well-known producers are Domaine Abotia, Domaine Ameztia, Domaine Arretxea, Domaine Brana, Domaine Etxegaraya and Domaine Ilarria, as well as the cooperatives CV d'Irouléguy and Les Vignerons du Pays-Basque.