Thérèse and Michel Riouspeyrous returned to the heart of the Pyrenean mountains in 1989 to revive the family farm. Previously, it was not mixed farming and livestock that sustained it, but vines, in the village of Irouléguy – today the only AOP in the French Basque Country. The couple took over Michel’s grandfather’s estate.
Following painstaking work involving terracing, planting new vines and developing the winery, the estate now extends over 12 hectares. The vineyards are planted to Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for the reds, and Petit and Gros Manseng alongside Petit Courbu for the whites. The estate adopted of both organic and biodynamic practices long before such approaches became widespread. Through passion and perseverance, the Riouspeyrous – now joined by their sons Iban and Téo – have become a benchmark of Irouléguy and a leading reference in South West France, celebrated for its expressive organic and biodynamic wines.

On the nose, this cuvée has rich aromas of red fruits (strawberry, cherry, blackcurrant), as well as peppery, liquorice notes. On the palate, there is a pleasant freshness, suppleness and palatability, as well as a lovely structure. This wine can be drunk today – after aeration -, otherwise cellar for 8 to 10 years. It marries perfectly with duck in black cherry sauce and Sarladais potatoes. The grapes are picked by hand and destemmed before undergoing natural fermentation and maceration for three weeks. The wine is then matured on its lees in concrete vats for 18 months.