Texier in Finland

S

Saina Nieminen

Saina Nieminen
Texier is one of the wineries that I really love, so it was great fun to meet Mr. Texier, as he not only makes some of my favourite wines from the Rhne, but he also is one of the nicest wine-people I have met. (FWIW, I also had a little part in making his wines available in Finland.)

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Picture by: Ville Henriksson (Viini TV)

ric Texier Mcon-Bussires Trs Vieilles Vignes 2006
Some truly lovely lemon-curd aromas, but also - unlike my last taste - a touch of oak (but nothing worrisome for most drinkers - IIRC, this doesn't see any new oak at all). The palate is really lovely: crisp, citric, mineral, pleasantly acidic and very, very long. Lovely wine.

ric Texier Ctes du Rhne 2006
Nice, sweet scent without being over the top. Rather it was a scent that begged me to sniff and sip it again. Elegant Grenache fruit, with quite a bit of savoury character in addition to its usual sweetness. Quite lovely!

ric Texier Ctes du Rhne Villages Vaison La Romaine 2007
100% Grenache. Deep red. A really lovely aroma of meat and general savouryness in addition to ripe, sweet fruit. This wasn't a Grenache like I have experienced before: this was deeply structured, lively, vigorous and refreshing. Lovely!

ric Texier Ctes du Rhne-Brzme Domaine de Pergault 2006
Lovely stuff. It smells of bacon and dark fruit, it is an extremely beautiful exponent of a savoury style of Syrah. Wonderful grip, acidity and savouryness on the palate. Despite being very primary, it is wonderfully drinkable, and I think I could easily drink a bottle of this alone. Brilliant wine!

ric Texier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2006
A sweet but savoury aroma. As one who doesn't usually care for Grenache, I really find it amazing how lovable Texier manages to make his Southern Rhones! Despite all the sweetness one expects from this area, this has lovely purity and refreshing structure from both tannins and acidity. (Experiencing acidity in CdP must really be rare...) Lovely wine; very primary but open.

ric Texier Nble Rot "Botrytis" 2001 (Mcon-Bussires)
A really lovely aroma of botrytis but in an elegant rather than overblown way. It smells of copper. More dry on the palate than I expected from the scent (c.50g/l RS IIRC what Texier said). Fun sweetish dessert!

ric Texier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc IX Rserve Improbable 2003

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A rare wine, only 60 bottles made; no sulfur; 100% Bourboulenc. Despite perhaps the hottest year on record, this wine has a little under 13% abv! Texier uses the grape to bring acidity into his CdP whites. This rare bottling is mostly used at the property. He very kindly gave one to me on his visit to Finland. And I found it rather awesome! The scent was a mixture of almost Riesling-like savoury, crystallized fruit and sensuous richness. The palate was certainly big but it was reigned in by good acidity (especially for this year) and some grip that was strong enough that it seemed like tannins. Lovely wine and IIRC the only '03 Rhne I have had that didn't seem hampered by the difficulties of the year.
 
ric Texier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc IX Rserve Improbable 2003

100% Bourboulenc.

Lovely wine and IIRC the only '03 Rhne I have had that didn't seem hampered by the difficulties of the year.
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Now we see the grape of the Global Warming future!
 
When i was chatting with Eric in New York i mentioned to him that i thought his Opale mosel style viognier was...not to my taste at all. He then expounded on how the wine came into being and his reasons for making the wine the way it was. It was remarkable because he weemed more interested in making sure i understood the wine rather than defending it to me. He didn't seem to mind at all that i didn't like the wine. Quite a refreshing conversation for me and my respect for the man went up several notches.
 
originally posted by Otto Nieminen:
nicest
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It's funny. Fond as I am of Eric, this is not the quality about him that I like.

Smart, thoughtful, forthright, self-critical, unsparing, genial, funloving, these, yes. "Nice" seems to damn a remarkable character with faint praise.

Perhaps just a linguistic question, Otto. There are other vignerons I consider "nice," but there are few that I respect as much as Eric.
 
The 2006 Cote du Rhone is awesome. Balanced, refreshing, and, indeed, more-ish. I had mine open for a couple of days and it was really fun to track its evolution---relatively tight, but eminently chuggable upon opening, but really blooming on days 2 and 3. And it still tasted great even on Day 4. All this for less than a Jackson.

I just wish his other cuvees were more widely available in DC.
 
Ok, you're going to have to explain "nice" to me. Though all what SFJoe wrote applies, I still thought "nice" was a positive thing. How can it possibly detract from a remarkable character? I certainly didn't intend to damn with faint praise.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Nice = mild
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Oh, I'm not so sure. Of course, I'm from the American South, where being "nice" is a part of everyday "manners," as well as a cover for many sins. I still think it's an under-appreciated virtue. "Nice" may imply mild, but it may also imply generosity of spirit, a willingness to engage another if only for a moment, to not ignore. I'm guessing that there was an open conversation here that left Otto with a good impression along these lines. Why should "nice" detract from any other virtues?
 
A lot of wine people are know it all assholes. "Nice" is an admirable virtue, especially when backed up by Eric's formidable intellect.
 
I believe the word "nicest" was used. Certainly, "nice" is often used as a backhanded compliment, i.e., "That was a nice enough wine, but...," but I don't think "nicest" has the same connotation as "nice." It seems to me that in modern American usage (can't speak to British/Australian usage), "nicest" is meant to convey that a person is particularly human, caring, and compassionate, and not just mild-mannered or undistinguished.
 
Alright, who's with me and is willing to help buy Thor a ticket to next year's ELP concert, chain him to his seat, and force him to listen to their show?

"Love Beach" on repeat play isn't punishment enough.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
Alright, who's with me and is willing to help buy Thor a ticket to next year's ELP concert, chain him to his seat, and force him to listen to their show?
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Oh what a lucky man he'd be.
 
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