Timorously taking three for the teamsters, a sequence of Texier syrahs, opened on root days for the sake of comparability, or not. All showing open but should, of course, improve in the usual manner. Italicized comments extracted from Eric’s newsletters.
2010 Eric Texier Brézème Vieilles Vignes Vieille Serine 12,70% pH 3,68 TA 4,53 g/l
Blackberries, bacon fat, rust, blood. Quite acidic before food, balanced with it, good weight, medium tannins, long finish. Gave pleasure, but wowless and bible black at this point.
The limestone marls always give Brézème its unique tension.
2011 Eric Texier Saint-Julien en Saint-Alban Vieille Serine 13,35% pH 3,70 TA 4,14 g/l
Very attractive aroma, iodine, violets, earth, blood. Mouth shows plenty of character, medium to strong tannins, good body. Ends bitter, but that vanishes with food. Quite impressive.
Fractured granite and very deep mica schist sub-soils. 2011 certainly wasn't an ordinary vintage! Cuvées that tend to be austere in their youth are drinking amiably. The wine certainly won't have 2010's aging potential, but will still serve as a proper introduction to these old serines on gneiss. Whole cluster. 18 months in demi-muids and barrels aged 5 to 10 years. No added SO2. 6432 bottles
2012 Eric Texier Saint-Julien en Saint-Alban 12,91% pH 3,61 TA 3,78 g/l
Blackberries, earth and licorice. Sappy, salty, great body and balance, both before and after food. Only one of the three that is not vieille serine, but did very well for a young ‘un. Excellent qpr.
The Hospital parcel, which we re-acquired last year, consists of fractured granite and very deep mica schist sub-soils. Unlike Brézème's limestones, these light soils produce extremely light, delicate wines. Our goal was therefore to produce a feminine wine in contrast to Brézème's often masculine style. Whole cluster. 5 day maceration, vinified and aged 9 months in concrete tanks without added sulphites. SO2 total 25 ppm. 9420 bottles
