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Domaine Ilarria, Irouléguy Rouge

South West, France 2016 (750mL)
$32.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Domaine Ilarria, Irouléguy Rouge

I’ve got Basque on the brain lately. It’s such an otherworldly, unspoiled place, completely bucolic but also dotted with Three-Michelin-Star restaurants hidden among the barns and pastures. And then there are the wines, like today’s dark-robed red from Domaine Ilarria, which are, like everything Basque, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.
Located in the “French” section of the Basque territory, in the tiny appellation of Irouléguy, Peio Espil of Domaine Ilarria takes the powerful Tannat grape, leavens it with the Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, and crafts a red that melds Basque rusticity with Bordeaux refinement. Tannat’s ferocious tannins are tamed without the wine losing its slightly wild, peppery edge, while a dense core of ripe black fruit caresses and coats the palate. As in neighboring Madiran (the Tannat capital of southwest France), there are some extraordinary gems to be found down here at the foot of the Pyrénées, and Domaine Ilarria is one of them. What a pitch-perfect snapshot of this special place!
As described in atmospheric detail by Ilarria’s West Coast importer, Charles Neal, Peio Espil and family live in village with a population of about 300, where he farms 10 hectares of vines that have been Certified Organic since 2008. The Irouléguy growing zone, like some of its southwestern French neighbors, has a push-pull of air currents coming up from the Atlantic Ocean and down from the Pyrénées; the ocean air is cool and refreshing, while the mountain air is dry, creating ideal conditions for viticulture. Espil’s vines are planted in vertical rows that spill down the slopes of the foothills, with soils mostly comprised of limestone and clay. The landscape is lush and green, a common theme in the Basque Country whether it’s France or Spain, and in most instances, the language spoken among the few winegrowers in the area is Euskara.

Depending on the vintage, Domaine Ilarria’s flagship red spends 16-24 months aging in a mix of tanks and used French oak barriques before bottling. It’s a succulent, spicy blend of 55% Tannat, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, with each of its component parts playing a recognizable role. In the glass, the wine is an intense ruby-purple moving to magenta and pink at the rim, with aromas of black raspberry, Morello cherry, plum, cassis, tar, bay leaf, black pepper, and violets. It is medium-plus in body with a nice dose of sappy mid-palate fruit that tames Tannat’s tannins and lends some lushness to the texture. This is a gutsy red, kind of a “country cousin” to a good, concentrated Right Bank Bordeaux, and it will shine with braised and grilled meats alike. There’s something about the savory, smoky finish of this wine that makes me crave a “mixed grill” of some kind with some coal-roasted potatoes on the side. Decant it about 30 minutes before serving in Bordeaux stems at 60 degrees; daring to be different pays dividends, as you’ll see. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
South West
Sub-Region
FranceIrouléguy AOC
Soil
Grey Limestone
Farming
Certified Organic
Blend
Tannat 55%, Cabernet Franc 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%
Alcohol
14.5
OAK
Used French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Bordeaux Stems
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Mixed Grill

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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