Domaine Arretxea - Hegoxuri 2015
Domaine Arretxea (which means "stone house" in Basque) is located in the town of Irouléguy, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region. It is one of the smallest vineyards in France, and the only one in the Basque country. The Estate was created in the 1990s, with the first vinification in 1993. Today, Arretxea cultivates 5 hectares of vines, in terraces and hillsides at the foot of the Jarra Mountain: 3.5 hectares of White, 4 hectares of Red and 1 hectare of Rosé. The vineyard has been certified in organic farming since 1998 and now works in biodynamics.
The cuvée Hegoxuri ("southern white" in Basque) is a blend of Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu, cultivated on a terroir composed of ophites, schists, sandstones and ampelites. Two thirds of the grapes are directly pressed and the last third is left to macerate for 18 hours. Fermentation and aging are carried out at 60% in barrels and demi-muids and 40% in tanks with aging on lees for 10 months.
Grape varieties: 50% Gros Manseng, 30% Petit Manseng and 20% Petit Courbu