Texier, Eric 2016 CdR Brezeme Domaine Pergaud Vieille Serine

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 than 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