refreshingly unique take
Domaine Ilarria is one of the first independent producers in the French side of the Basque Country where the Pyrénées mountains decline towards the Spanish border in the appellation of Irouléguy. Peio Espil works as naturally as possible to let the grapes grow organically putting his efforts into maintaining the soil without plowing.
Though Irouléguy shares grape varietals with nearby regions like Madiran, Bergerac, Bordeaux, and Jurançon, the wines made in French Basque Country are very much an anomaly. The wines of Domaine Ilarria offer a refreshingly unique take on grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Tannat with intensity and density avoiding the addition of sulfur before bottling.
first organic producer in the region
Domaine Ilarria has been featured in the New York Times by Eric Asimov in his feature about the small village of Irouléguy. Peio Espil makes these wines by hand and has been certified organic for over 15 years, the first organic producer in the region. Irouléguy is one of the smallest AOCs in France spanning approximately 200ha, with very little wine leaving the region as an export.
