Texier 2019 Côtes du Rhône Brézème

Viticulture in Brézème, on the primarily limestone marl south facing steep hillsides, dates back to Roman times. Records from the early 1800's indicate plantings of Syrah from vines in Hermitage and Cornas.  Éric Texier has been instrumental in reviving the vineyards, especially with his Domaine du Pergaud Vieilles Vignes and this lovely Syrah from 20 to 40 year-old vines. Whole cluster maceration for 6-8 days, fermentation in open cement vats on the lees for 20 months, unfined, unfiltered, zero SO2, 13% alcohol. "Ripest Brézème ever," says Éric, "more Northern Rhone Syrah than Brézème, in my opinion. A pop, pour and drink wine that I like to chill a little bit." Pop, por and drink, perhaps, but a seriously beautiful Syrah, showing bright black/red color and perfect Syrah aromas with subtle fresh blue and black fruits, a bit of funk and dusty earth. The palate is ripe with vivid fruit, but with a lightness and underlying mineral core that makes it both a refreshing "pop and pour" and a great food wine as well. The long finish is a superb blend of fruit and saline minerals. Fabulous purity, just a beautiful wine.  Enjoy!  David Lillie

Texier 2020 Côtes du Rhône Brézème Roussanne

The 2020 Texier Brézème Roussanne is an extraordinary glass of wine, combining the richness and texture of Roussanne with a bit of the oxidative character of a Jura white. The wine shows aromas of ripe yellow fruits, almond, citrus and white flowers lifted by the slight oxidative notes. The palate is round and complex with the ripe fruit vying for attention with a dense mineral core, finishing with sapid and saline yellow fruits with firm structure and fantastic length. This is a fascinating wine with the oxidative quality balancing the richness of the fruit. "A food wine" says Éric "a fantastic pairing with poultry and grilled fish. Tastes like the Roussanne of Clos de l'Arbalestrier from the '80s." David Lillie

Texier 2015 CdR St. Julien en St. Alban Pergaud Vieille Serine

 Often we think we can peg vintage character based on sweeping generalizations only to taste the wines and have our expectations completely blown by what's in the glass. And such is the case with the 2015 St. Julien St Alban Seerine from Éric Texier. Rather than a blocky, fierce wine from a torrid vintage, the wine is perfumed, fine-boned, and graceful--more balletic than bruising The 2015 boasts a deep ruby verging on purple robe. Pretty aromas of wild violet, blackberry blossom, bramble and licorice waft from the glass. The lithe mid-weight plate shows wild blackberry and blueberry fruit with ripe tannins and fresh acidity. There's fantastic freshness and energy on the startlingly long, lifted finish. This really sings in 2015 and reflects dedicated farming and deft winemaking by Texier. "A long term wine" says Éric "high ripeness with good acidity, very much like 2009. No sulfur."

Texier 2016 Brézème Domaine Pergaud Vieille Serine

(Arrives 4/6) Made primarily from 80 to 90 year-old vines of Serine, grown in a small hillside parcel of limestone marl soil in Brézème, generally regarded as an old version of Syrah (which evolved from Mondeuse Blanc and Dureza) with smaller berries which survived through massale selection, principally in Cote Rotie.  Serine gives a more aromatic and elegant wine that the larger berried modern Syrah.  "Probably the last "classic" vintage of my life" says Éric "old school, harvested in October, classic balance but gentler than 2013, so very approachable. One of my personal favorite Brézème Pergaud, unmistakably Brézème. No sulfur." The wine shows a dark garnet/black color with subtle, elegant aromas, floral, then gamey, then dense high-toned blackberry, a bt of blueberry with stone and spice. The palate is lean and youthful with firm acidity, dense but weightless. Elegant red fruits need time to emerge. The finish is long , all minerals and saline acids. Approachable, perhaps, but I would put this away for 5 to 8 years then drink until 2042.  David Lillie

Texier 2020 Vin de France Le Clau Vieille Serine

(Arrives 4/6) "From a handful of rows in our 0.5 ha of a very particular strain of Serine. Planted in the 1930’s in the Masson parcel of Saint-Julien en-Saint-Alban in the lieu-dit Le Clau. They present unique ampelographic qualities, very different from the Serines we find in Brézème or other Northern vineyards, notably very low alcoholic degrees when in full maturity. All replacements here have been done through marcottage, without the introduction of any clones. We are still not sure of their exact nature, and certain ampelography experts believe it may not even be Syrah. It may actually be Bravade or Exbrayat. We've decided to vinify these separately and the result is unique. We’ve discovered a very particular personality, and it’s an immense pleasure to share this with you.Whole-cluster, with a light treading for 20% of the grapes. 6-8 days of maceration with an immersed cap, no extraction. Native yeasts. Aged 18 months in demi-muids. No filtration or fining. No sulfur was added at any point during vinification, aging or bottling."  (The following note is from our June 2022 tasting - the wine has closed up (March 2023) and wll need aeration or aging before drinking) The 2020 Le Clau shows an inky black/purple color with bright rim.  Vivid black fruit aromas (boysenberry, blackberry) with black peppercorn, earth, mint, garrigue - develops quickly with aeration. The wine is intense but not heavy with a very mineral attack and very firm acidity with bright cassis and blackberry fruit that emerges with air. A fascinating melange of black fruits, anise and minerals  lingers lightly on the palate in the very long finsh. This is an extraordinary wine that is great fun to taste now but 5 years in the cellar, and perhaps much longer, should create something quite unique. David Lillie

Texier 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes

"Châteauneuf du Pape is certainly the best white wine terroir in the Rhône Valley. Warm and sapid wine in its youth, the wine evolves into noble notes of pine nuts, turpentine, and honey. A fascinating pairing with Provencal cuisine but also surprisingly unorthodox in its possibilities to match all types of food. The 2018 is from old vines of Clairette and Bourboulenc in "Bois Senechaux" - the north-facing site is flat and stony with the classic glacial galets roulés and cool, clay-based soils over limestone mother rock. Direct vertical pressing of whole clusters; fermentation with indigenous yeasts in small, used oak barrels with no sulfur; malolactic fermentation; aging in 3 - 5 year-old barrels on the fine lees with no racking for 16-20 months; bottling without fining or filtering or any addition of sulfur. Tiny production. "The magic of Bourboulenc" says Eric, "the 2018 has huge potential but is so good now!"