Domaine Illaria - Illaria Rosé, Irouleguy AOC, France (2024)

TASTING NOTES

Nutty, red-fruited and mouth-filling. A powerful and structured rosé, it may look like as though it will be fruity little number, but don’t be fooled this is a serious rosé, savoury and excellent for food pairings.

Domaine Illaria has long been the benchmark producer in Irouléguy. It 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.

Irouléguy is one of the smallest AOCs in France spanning approximately 200ha, with very little wine leaving the region as an export.