Imanol Garay

Imanol Garay's estate

Tasting Imanol Garay's wines is like meeting the man himself: they never leave you indifferent! Much like our founder Clément Chevrier, he loves cycling and meeting the people who make natural wine. Imanol Garay is authentic, straightforward and endearing, just like his wines from the Pyrenean and Basque terroirs. A must-discover if you haven't already!

The story of Imanol Garay

Epi-curieux.com went to South-West France to find wines bursting with energy. Imanol Garay is not a winemaker's son, but over the years and through the people he met, he realised that this was what he wanted to be: a natural winegrower. Imanol knew the "dark side" of chemicals, as he likes to say: he first graduated in industrial chemical engineering before changing careers. He then worked as a sales rep for the Adour cooperage, which brought him many encounters in the world of natural wine, including a great name, Richard Leroy. Over time, these encounters gave him a love of the land, of living things, of clean wine and of the people who make it. Originally from San Sebastián, Imanol settled in Madiran country, in Orthez.

Imanol Garay, the artist

He started out as a négociant in South-West France. Not wanting to choose between his home country and the one he adopted, Imanol buys grapes on the Spanish side (high-altitude grapes in Navarre) and in France (Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and more). He also buys grapes from Jean of Domaine Pichard, now a friend: a different vision of wine, but a deep mutual respect. Imanol vinifies Jean's grapes his own way, naturally and respectfully.
His wines grow out of his encounters on Pyrenean land. But Imanol did not stop at buying grapes: he also planted vines in the Irouléguy appellation, plus a small plot in Orthez (Tannat and Raffiat de Moncade, a rare native grape). Deeply connected to nature, he listens to his vines and lets them express themselves. In his cellar in Orthez, where his creativity explodes, Imanol experiments with every vintage: ripeness levels change, blends differ, and ageing takes place in stainless steel, stoneware jars, barrels or amphorae. And as well as pampering his vines, Imanol lulls his wines with the music of his piano. A cellar worth the trip!
Here are Imanol Garay's cuvées, selected for you by your favourite team at Epi-curieux.com.

The cuvées of Imanol Garay

With Ixilune, Imanol Garay has made a wine of overflowing energy and unsettling aromas. This blend of Raffiat de Moncade, Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng from Jurançon is a great white that deserves a little time in the cellar.
Imanol never forgets his roots: for Clandestinus, he sources grapes in the Spanish Basque Country and vinifies them there before bringing the wine back to France for ageing. Grenache and Graciano from Navarre, now joined by a little Tannat and Pinot, for a fruity, spicy and floral wine: the perfect match for tapas!
He surprises us again with Tabularaza, made with Matthieu Moulic: Tannat, but not as you know it, with just 12 hours of fermentation before pressing and 10% Sémillon, for a fluid, fruity, dangerously delicious wine!
Hegan Egin brings together three winegrowers, Gile, Alfredo and Imanol, in the Bizkaiko Txakolina appellation, 30 km south-west of Bilbao. A blend of Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng for an impressive wine, powerful, fruity and pure, to keep for years.
Bi-Xoro is Imanol's second cuvée with Matthieu Moulic: a very rare blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat, macerated in open barrels for 3-4 weeks and aged in amphora. Another one-of-a-kind cuvée! Not to be confused with Clandestinus, Clandestinum differs in its ageing, in amphora: freshness guaranteed! Altannativa is Tannat as you've never tasted it: an almost direct pressing of this very tannic grape for a very light red, almost like a white, fresh and thirst-quenching.
A very, very limited edition: Imanol's Infusion de Raffiat, a maceration of this rare grape in amphora, a lovely journey in a glass. Abiatu is THE Imanol Garay cuvée from Madiran: tannic by nature but never aggressive, deep, elegant and fresh. Spellbinding!
Imanol's latest creations are just as surprising. Izzem is a Loire Chenin from Hervé Grenier's grapes, vinified in Imanol's style: dense, deep and wildly energetic. Saguzara, 100% Pinot Noir from Navarre, plays on elegance and bright fruit under the Spanish sun. With Kyebo, Imanol makes his first Carignan, from Saint-Chinian: ripe and dense with silky tannins. Tannat de Moncade, from the vines of Orthez, uses a very short maceration for a surprisingly fresh Tannat. And En une seconde brings two friends together, Axel Domont and Imanol, combining Savoie Mondeuse and South-West Tannat in one bottle.
Imanol Garay is a singular character, an artist, a creator of wines as personal as they are vibrant! He is connected to his vines, his land and his grapes, and you can feel it in natural wines of disarming energy. A must-try: the tasting will be sensational.