Domaine de Souch

1963 Yvonne Hégoburu and her late husband René, then living in Pau only 6 km away, bought what today is Domaine de Souch as a holiday home. They fell in love with the place instantaneously and the permanent move was unavoidable. They learnt that the estate had previously been a farm in the 1800’s and that it had in the past been famed for its vineyards and wine made by Jean de Souch. In 1985 René left this world behind and their former joyous and lively home turned empty and sad. To once more bring life to their home Yvonne and her and René’s son, Jean-René, 1987 decides to replant the property with vines. Thus Domaine de Souch was created. 

1990 was the first vintage, and instant success was a fact, the wine being praised at various occasions. The estate quickly gained its place among the finest estates of Jurançon. The estate has been biodynamically farmed since 1994 and is organically certifed, eschewing all forms of herb- and pesticides. Instead the soil is worked and plowed. The goal is to create vineyards that are fully integrated into nature and are self sustaining ecosystems. Most work in the vines is carried out manually.

Today the Hégoburu’s farm 7 hectares: 4,9 Petit Manseng, 1,4 Gros Manseng, 0,7 Corbu. The vineyards are located on a southerly-exposed hillside 300-325 m. asl. close to the village of Laroin, facing the Phyrénées. Harvest in done by hand into small buckets to avoid bruising the grapes. At the winey minimal intervention is the melody. Whole bunches are pressed in a pneumatic press. Wines are fermented with indigenous yeast.

Yvonne Hégoburu, today in her 80’s, quickly came to be loved, highly admired and respected by a large community of sensible and talented growers and is today an iconic and legendary figure in the world of wine. We owe much thanks to Yvonne since she has been and is a big inspiration those seeking a natural path – a true matriarch of viticulture showing what is possible with a holistic approach.

Domaine de Souch makes an excellent dry white wine and are also responsible of producing some of France’s greatest sweet wines, found on many starred tables and ambitious wine quarters.