Herri Mina, 2018 Irouléguy Rouge, Southwest France
Cab Franc du Jour #85
Herri Mina was established in 1996 by winemaking legend Jean-Claude Berrouet. If the name is not immediately familiar, perhaps the estate where he worked for 44 vintages will be: Château Pétrus. From 1964 to 2008, Jean-Claude was in charge of winemaking at Pétrus in Pomerol. A native of Basque Country, he always harboured a desire to have vineyards in this part of France, and the name Herri Mina translates loosely from Basque as “nostalgia.” Jean-Claude makes two wines in Irouléguy: a white from Petit Manseng, Petit Corbu, and Gros Manseng, and a red from Cabernet Franc. He chose Cabernet Franc, he explained, because like him, this grape hails from Basque Country, and working with it on these lands feels like returning to basics, returning to roots.
Cabernet Franc: Basque by Birth
This is worth unpacking. Based on DNA evidence, Cabernet Franc originates from the Spanish País Vasco, the Basque Country of Spain. Historically this was a region straddling the French and Spanish border on the Atlantic, western side of the Pyrenees. Cabernet Franc has been identified as the parent of two very old varieties originating from the area around the city of Hondarribia: Hondarribi Beltza and Morenoa. Here in the region of Irouléguy, in Northern Basque Country in the historical department of Lower Navarra, Cabernet Franc goes by the local name Achéria, meaning fox.
Irouléguy: A History
The area around Irouléguy has a viticultural history that likely predates Roman times, though the region’s wines did not begin to gain wider recognition until around the 13th century, when monks from the monastery of Roncesvalles cultivated vineyards with local varieties at priories in the villages of Irouléguy and Arhaux. These villages sat along the route between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Hondarribia, important stops for pilgrims following the Way of St James toward Santiago de Compostela. Bread and wine were essential provisions for those on the long pilgrimage, and while the first written mention of Achéria does not appear in records until 1903, Cabernet Franc was almost certainly among the local varieties cultivated here long before that. Thanks in part to the nearby port city of Bayonne, wines from Irouléguy gained further acclaim through the end of the 19th century, with plantings reaching a peak of around 1,000ha. Phylloxera devastated the region, and by 1950 only about 50 hectares remained under vine.
Today the Irouléguy appellation, established in 1970, encompasses 15 communes with approximately 260 hectares under vine. Red wines account for around 60% of production and rosé for 20%, with Cabernet Franc and Tannat the principal red varieties. Around 50 hectares of Cabernet Franc are currently planted in the region.
The Growing Environment
The climate in Irouléguy is a moderate maritime one, strongly influenced by the Atlantic roughly 40km to the west, bringing around 1,500mm of rainfall per year. As is typical of maritime climates, the majority falls during winter and early spring, leaving late summer and autumn relatively dry, well suited to ripening. A further important climatic feature is the Haïze Hegoa, a strong, warm, dry southerly föhn wind that arrives on average every third day through late summer and autumn, eliminating excess moisture from the vineyards and reducing disease pressure significantly.
The terrain is extreme. Set in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the landscape is defined by steep, undulating hillsides interlaced with dozens of streams and tributaries. Vineyards are planted on terraces at slopes typically around 60%, at elevations generally between 200 and 400m above sea level. Three main soil types are found across the region, all with excellent drainage balanced by good moisture retention, important for Cabernet Franc: Triassic-era red sandstone, Keuper ophites of volcanic origin, and Jurassic-era calcareous soils.
The Vineyard
Today’s wine comes from a 1-hectare parcel of Cabernet Franc in the commune of Ispoure, in the foothills of the Arradoy massif. The vines are planted on red sandstone soils on very steep south-facing terraces at altitudes ranging from 150 to 300m above sea level, and were established in 2000 with Clone 214, the Loire clone. Jean-Claude regards this as one of the finest clones available for Cabernet Franc in terms of both viticultural characteristics and wine quality.
In the Cellar
The winemaking is classic and restrained. The fruit is hand-harvested and fully destemmed before fermenting in small stainless steel vats. Jean-Claude takes a gentle approach to extraction, keeping the wine on skins for approximately 15 days in order to preserve the fruitier character of the wine. Élevage lasts around 12 to 14 months in one-year-old oak barrels.
Wine Details
Producer: Herri Mina
Region: Southwest France
Appellation: Irouléguy
Commune: Ispoure
Soils: Red sandstone of the Triassic
Alcohol: 13.5%