Domaine Arretxea - Dolia Rouge - Cabernet Franc 2017
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.
Dolia (from the Latin “dolium”) refers to the name of the 100-kilo and 400-litre jars used for winemaking by the Estate. These breathable containers are fairly neutral aromatically and were created especially for Arretxea by a craftsman from the municipality of Ossès. The red Dolia cuvée is mainly made from Cabernet Franc, cultivated on a terroir composed of sandstone. The wine is vinified for 5 months in these dolias.
Grape variety: Cabernet Franc