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About the producer
Eric Texier made the unprecedented leap from nuclear engineer to winemaker in the early 1990s, craving the freedom that working for himself could bring. He was inspired by an older generation of Rhône producers like Marius Gentaz, Noel Verset, Raymond Trollat 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, ECOCERT certified since 2008 - though the labels do not mention this. There are two aspects of biodynamics to which he subscribes: the use of preparations to regenerate the soil and rotating crops between the rows of vines to increase the matière of the soil. Green harvesting is never carried out as Eric feels that though it can make the resulting wines richer and rounder, and it can also make them more simple. 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.
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Organic
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Sustainable
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, 300m in altitude with a cooling influence from the Vercors mountains to the east. 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, although it is just across the Rhône and 200 metres higher in altitude at 500 metres. It, too, has two distinct soil types, divided in this case by a fault line. To the south are calcareous soils and to the north, where Eric has his Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault vines, the soils are granitic. According to the rules of the appellation, there are seven permitted varieties here, where in Brézème there are only four, but single varietal Syrah is allowed.
Eric’s Syrah and Roussanne vines are the original local varieties and not clones; even his young vines are from a massal selection of these old vines. Eric feels that he essentially "discovered" St. Julien as a terroir per se. Many of the grapes grown here get sold off for use by unscrupulous négociants in more expensive appellations further north. He is the only organic producer both in Brézème and St. Julien, and could be seen as a pioneer of both appellations.
Vineyard
Green harvesting is never carried out as Eric feels that though it can make the resulting wines richer and rounder, and it can also make them more simple. The grapes are grown organically, ECOCERT certified since 2008. Brézème is composed of two soils, divided by a valley: one made up of marnes calcaires while the other is more alluvial with galets ronds. In St. Julien, soils to the south are calcareous and to the north, where Eric has his Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault vines, are granitic.
Winery
Only using natural yeasts and leaving the bunches intact. Maturation is carried out in old demi-muids and sulphur dioxide is never used during vinification, only at bottling.