Wines
Summary
Domaine Ilarria has 10 hectares near the village of Irouleguy, less than 10 km from the border with Spain. This is the Basque region of France, and although the population here speak French, they typically speak their native tongue of Basque. It’s a beautiful region, one of France’s smallest AOC in the southwest corner of France along the Spanish border.
The estate is owned and operated by Peio Espil, who took over the family domaine in 1988. After apprenticships at La Tour Blanche in Sauternes as well as Domaine Cauhapé, Peio returned to take over the 10 hecatare vineyards from hius father. The vines in Irouleguy are primarily planted on red soils called “Bailara Gorri ("red terrace”) anywhere between 100 and 500 meters above sea level. But, at Ilarria the soils are quite different and planted on limestone soils that allow Ilarria to produce wines with a particular minerality. Since taking over Peio has been farming his vineyards organically, and winemaking is minimal intervention.
