Texier 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

(Arrives 4/6) The Texier CDP Vieilles Vignes is 100% Grenache from 80+ year-old vines on alluvial gravel of glacial origin called ‘galets roulés’ on the northern slopes of "la Crau." The wine shows a bright red/black color and astonishing aromas of violet, red currant and crushed raspberry over deep plum liqueur, just beautiful. The palate is lush and supple with bright acidity, with gorgeous round red and black fruits that coat the mouth and linger on the long finish with firm acidity, citrus, earth and mineral notes under the exuberant fruit. On day two, more typical notes of garrigue and black cherry emerge... Like a great red Burgundy made with Grenache, pair it with an elegant cuisine (or drink it for breakfast). Long term aging is certainly possible, but we recemmend drinking it now, without restraint... DL  "2020 Chateauneuf rouge : reminds me of 2000. In one word : balance. Between fruit and structure, acidity and roundness, aromatic expression and aging potentiel. This wine pleases me a lot. Unusual lately... Harvested late September under perfect conditions. Whole cluster of course, 18 months in demi muids. A tiny bit of grenache blanc in it, since we forgot to harvest 2 rows when we did the whites! 1956 bottles and 24 magnums." Eric Texier

Texier 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes (4/6)

2019 Chateauneuf-du-Pape VV - From old vines of Bourboulenc and Clairette on galets roulés in "Bois Sénéchaux," facing north. Flashing a medium gold hue, the nose offers fabulously complex aromas of quince, cantaloupe, orange marmalade and orange blossom, with almond, citrus, dried flowers and chamomille, lifted by a slightly oxidative character. The palate is full bodied with concentration from the old vines, showing ripe pear and yellow fruits with meyer lemon, almond and intense saline minerals, finishing with firm acidity and fabulous length. A true winter weight Rhone white meant for heartier dishes and colder climes. GH/DL   "2019 Chateauneuf blanc : very hot and ripe year, similar to 2017. Even the bourboulenc was very ripe. We did some oxydation on the must before fermentation to avoid too much oxydative notes in the finish wine. In the end like for any super ripe vintage, we do have a touch of oxydation (should please the Jura kids...), but the wine has a great potential for imaginative pairings with food. Really amazing with marinated poultry (acidic marinade - lime, lemon... based). For drinking now, unlike 2018 or 2020 that will need years, imo.." Eric Texier 

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 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 2021 Côtes du Rhône Brézème Bl Roussanne (4/6)

(Arrives 4/6) 100% Roussanne. From Texier's young vines in the cooler, more limestone-driven vineyard area of Brézème (marnes calcaires). Whole cluster, direct press, native yeast fermentation, aging on lees in concrete, no stirring, 30 mg/l of SO2 at bottling. Selection massalle from the very old Roussanne vines of Domaine Pergaud, planted in 2003. Beautiful purity of yellow fruits, citrus, almond and saline minerals.

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 CdR St. Julien en St. Alban Domaine Pergaud Vieille Serine

(Arrives 4/6) 100% Syrah/Serine. From 70+ year-old vines of an old, pre-clonal variety of Syrah known as "Serine" planted on a south-facing slope on granite soils in St-Julien-en-St-Alban, organically farmed and harvested by hand. The vinification and aging are identical to Texier's Brézème Serine bottling and thus purely expressive of the much warmer, sunnier microclimate and granite-rich St. Julien terroir: whole-cluster fermentation with indigneous yeasts and no sulfur in wooden vats with an 8-10-day maceration; no extraction technqiues, only a submerged cap for a gentle infusion of color and flavor; aging in foudres for 36-48 months on the fine lees without racking; bottling without fining or filtration and generally 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