Irouléguy AOC
Encyclopedia
Lower Navarre
Lower Navarre is a part of the present day Pyrénées Atlantiques département of France. Along with Navarre of Spain, it was once ruled by the Kings of Navarre. Lower Navarre was historically one of the kingdoms of Navarre. Its capital were Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Saint-Palais...
in the Northern Basque Country
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and are usually considered as part of the wine region of South West France
South West France (wine region)
South West France or in French Sud-Ouest, is a wine region in France covering several wine-producing areas situated respectively inland from, and south of, the wine region of Bordeaux...
(Sud-Ouest). They are named after the village of Irouléguy
Irouléguy
Irouléguy is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.It is mainly known for the Irouléguy AOC wine which is grown on the vineyards of the area.-References:*...
and are the only wines with AOC
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
certification in the Northern Basque Country. Irouléguy wines are often referred to as coming from "the smallest vineyard in France, the biggest in the Northern Basque Country".
Currently about 550,000 litres are produced annually, with about 70% of production being red wines, 20% rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
and 10% white.
History
The history of wine-making in the area goes back to at least the 3rd century when the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
commented on wine-making in the area. It was boosted by monks of the Abbey of Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles
Roncesvalles is a small village and municipality in Navarre, northern Spain. It is situated on the small river Urrobi at an altitude of some 900 metres in the Pyrenees, about 8 kilometres from the French frontier....
in the 11th century who planted the first large scale vineyards to provide wine for pilgrims travelling along the Way of St James. Following the Treaty of the Pyrenees
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed to end the 1635 to 1659 war between France and Spain, a war that was initially a part of the wider Thirty Years' War. It was signed on Pheasant Island, a river island on the border between the two countries...
in 1659, the monks had to give up wine-making and the vineyards which were taken over by the local villagers.
During its peak in the 17th century, the Irouléguy vineyards comprised some 500ha of cultivated land. The production of wine had been boosted considerably by the then Viscount of Urdos
Urdos
Urdos is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
who encouraged the locals to grow grapes even on the steep slopes. The 18th century saw relatively high levels of employment in the area due to increased mining activity, further boosting the consumption and thus production of local wine. But the following period was marked by constant decline and the vineyards were hit hard by the Great French Wine Blight
Great French Wine Blight
The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid to waste the wine industry...
in 1912 and by the 1980s, only some 70ha were still in cultivation. A cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
was formed in 1952 under the lead of Alexander Bergouignan to rescue the situation and to work towards certification. The wines of Baigorri, Anhauze and Irouléguy
Irouléguy
Irouléguy is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.It is mainly known for the Irouléguy AOC wine which is grown on the vineyards of the area.-References:*...
were awarded AOVDQS certification in 1953 and Irouléguy was granted AOC status in October 1970. Today, some 210ha of land are cultivated again in the area.
Prior to AOC certification, a much larger number of varieties were grown, including Kroxenta, Pikapota, Kamalua, Mantzinga, Bordalesa, Erre Mantxaua and Pino beltza.
Location
Of the 15 wine-growing municipalities in the Irouléguy region, only the following nine grow Irouléguy vines on a total of 210ha: AnhauxAnhaux
Anhaux is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-External links:*...
, Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry
Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France, located at the same time in the former province of Lower Navarre...
, Ascarat
Ascarat
Ascarat is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-External links:*...
, Irouléguy
Irouléguy
Irouléguy is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.It is mainly known for the Irouléguy AOC wine which is grown on the vineyards of the area.-References:*...
, Bidarrai, Ispoure
Ispoure
Ispoure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre and historically has a high percentage of inhabitants of Cascarot descent.-External links:*...
, Jaxu
Jaxu
Jaxu is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-References:* -External links:*...
and Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa
Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa
Saint-Martin-d'Arrossa is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-External links:*...
.
The other municipalities (Aincille
Aincille
Aincille is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-References:* -External links:*...
, Bussunarits-Sarrasquette
Bussunarits-Sarrasquette
Bussunarits-Sarrasquette is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-External links:*...
, Bustince-Iriberry, Lasse
Lasse, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Lasse is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-External links:*...
, Lecumberry
Lecumberry
Lecumberry is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-External links:*...
, Ossès
Ossès
Ossès is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies in the traditional Basque province of Lower Navarre.-Geography:...
, Saint-Jean-le-Vieux
Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Saint-Jean-le-Vieux is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-History:The town of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux was razed to the ground in 1177 by the troops of Richard the Lionheart after a siege. The Kings of Navarre refounded the town at nearby Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port...
) grow other vines.
The vineyards are often located on extremely steep slopes with inclines of up to 60°. This has led to the development of special growing and terracing techniques by Basque wine-growers to enable the cultivation of vines on these slopes.
Wine
Tannat
Tannat is a red wine grape, historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". It is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Peru, and in Italy's Puglia region where it is used as a...
), Axeria (Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and Axeria Handia (Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
), while white wines are made from Xuri Zerratia (Courbu
Courbu
Courbu is the name of three different, but related varieties of wine grapes primarily found in South West France. All are Vitis vinifera grapes. The name Courbu, without suffix, can refer to both Petit Courbu and Courbu Blanc, and not all sources differ between the two.- Petit Courbu :Petit Courbu...
), Izkiriota Ttipia (Petit Manseng
Petit Manseng
Petit Manseng is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France. It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family. The name is derived from its small, thick skin berries. Coupled with the small yields of the grapevine, most Petit Manseng farmers...
) and Izkiriota (Gros Manseng
Gros Manseng
Gros Manseng is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France, and is part of the Manseng family. It produces dry wines in the Jurançon and Béarn regions of Southwest France...
).
They are cultivated on terraces between 100-400m above sea-level and although the soils vary, one of the chief characteristics of the soils in the region is a deep red coloration. This fact is mirrored in the name of the nearby town of Baigorri which is a contraction of bailara gorri "red terrace".