About this WINE
Eric Texier
Eric Texier made the unprecedented leap from nuclear engineer to winemaker in the early 1990s. Although his passion for wine was begat from the wines of Burgundy, he was inspired by an older generation of Rhône producers like Marius Gentaz and Pouchoulin, and felt that a successor was needed. Drawing on their methods of only using natural yeasts and leaving the bunches intact, he developed some of his own ideas and techniques as well. The grapes are grown organically (although the labels don’t state this). Maturation is carried out in old demi-muids and sulphur dioxide is never used during vinification, only at bottling. All of these methods, he feels, serve to express the special terroir of these appellations.
And what of the terroirs? Brézème is a tale of two soils, divided by a valley. One, which Eric refers to as the “vrai Côte de Brézème” and likens to Hermitage, is made up of marnes calcaires while the other is more alluvial with galets ronds. There is a unique microclimate here, 300 metres above sea-level with a cooling influence from the Vercors Massif to the east. Some vineyards are classified as Brézème and others not in a seemingly haphazard fashion; the only element that Eric can find in common for the classified vineyards is that they are easier to work. Texier’s wines come from 4.2ha here, producing approximately 20,000 bottles (slightly more than St Julien, of which there were 16,000 bottles produced in 2010). St Julien is, curiously, much hotter than Brézème though it is just across the Rhône and 200 metres higher. Eric’s Syrah and Roussanne vines are the original local varieties and not clones, which is why the old-vine red and white cuvées are called “Serine” and “Roussette” respectively.
He is the only organic producer both in Brézème and St Julien, and could be seen as a pioneer of both appellations which, while today being just humble Côtes du Rhône, are expected very shortly to have their own appellations.
Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône, located in southern France’s Rhône Valley, is one of the country’s largest and most well-known wine appellations. The region is renowned for producing a wide range of high-quality wines, with vineyards extending from just south of Lyon in the north to Avignon in the south, covering both banks of the Rhône River.
Côtes du Rhône is celebrated for its wide array of red and white grape varieties. The primary red grape varieties include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, while the main white grape varieties consist of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne.
The region is divided into several appellations, each with distinct characteristics and regulations. The hierarchy ranges from the broad Côtes du Rhône appellation to more specific and prestigious sub-appellations like Côtes du Rhône Villages and Crus such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Hermitage.
The region benefits from a diverse terroir, contributing to the different wine styles. The northern part has a continental climate, while the southern portion enjoys a Mediterranean climate, which plays a vital role in grape ripening and flavour development.
The red wines are highly regarded for their rich and robust flavours. They often exhibit notes of dark fruits, herbs, spices, and distinctive peppery quality, especially in the Syrah-dominated wines from the northern Rhône.
The white wines are typically aromatic and elegant, with flavours of stone fruits, floral notes, and hints of mineral complexity.
Côtes du Rhône also produces excellent rosé wines, which are refreshing and perfect for warm weather enjoyment.
Winemaking in Côtes du Rhône has a long history from ancient times. The region preserves a combination of traditional methods and modern techniques, allowing winemakers to express the unique characteristics of their terroir.
Côtes du Rhône wines are versatile and pair well with a wide range of dishes, including roasted meats, hearty stews, grilled vegetables, and cheeses.
Grenache/Garnacha
Grenache (Noir) is widely grown and comes in a variety of styles. Believed to originate in Spain, it was, in the late 20th century, the most widely planted black grape variety in the world. Today it hovers around seventh in the pecking order. It tends to produce very fruity, rich wines that can range quite widely in their level of tannin.
In many regions – most famously the Southern Rhône, where it complements Syrah and Mourvèdre, among other grapes – it adds backbone and colour to blends, but some of the most notable Châteauneuf du Pape producers (such as Château Rayas) make 100 percent Grenache wines. The grape is a component in many wines of the Languedoc (where you’ll also find its lighter-coloured forms, Grenache Gris and Blanc) and is responsible for much southern French rosé – taking the lead in most Provence styles.
Found all over Spain as Garnacha Tinta (spelt Garnaxa in Catalonia), the grape variety is increasingly detailed on wine labels there. Along with Tempranillo, it forms the majority of the blend for Rioja’s reds and has been adopted widely in Navarra, where it produces lighter styles of red and rosado (rosé). It can also be found operating under a pseudonym, Cannonau, in Sardinia.
Beyond Europe, Grenache is widely planted in California and Australia, largely thanks to its ability to operate in high temperatures and without much water. Particularly in the Barossa Valley, there are some extraordinary dry-farmed bush vines, some of which are centuries old and produce wines of startling intensity.
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Description
On the opposite side of the Rhône, the fruits of relatively young Syrah clones, this is the closest that Eric gets to a straightforward wine, with soft forestfloor aromatics and a crunchy forward attack. There is a distinct intimation of complexity on the finish and in the finely managed tannins.
Simon Field MW - Rhône Buyer
The wines of Domaine de Pergaud are very well known to the cognoscenti of the Rhône Valley, perhaps best known under the name of their charismatic progenitor. Eric Texier, a nuclear engineer, decided to devote himself to reinvigorating the wines of the appellation Brézème, on the east side of the Rhône River, 30 kilometres south of Hermitage, with which it once shared an illustrious reputation and, it seems, a similar granitic soil structure. If this was not sufficiently difficult, he also took on some vines on the other side— of the river in the Ardèche département the AOP of St Julien en St Alban. Farming organically and making wines in the natural way, adding only a little sulphur at bottling, his has been not only to reawaken old appellations (one thinks of Seyssuel) but also to make wines in a more ‘traditional’ style, that is to say lighter and more elegant. He appears to have succeeded in both these aspirations.
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