Martin Texier Brézème 2020
Martin Texier (you may have heard of his father, Eric, the now famous northern Rhône natural wine producer) began making wine in 2014 after a previous life studying economics. After leaving university, he ventured into music (he is an accomplished DJ) and also spent time in New York City learning about the wine trade here (he held internships at both Uva Wines in Brooklyn and Flatiron Wines in Manhattan, as well as the greatest record store in the world, A1 Records). It was after this that he realized that his calling was to follow in his father’s footsteps and return to the vines.
He now has five hectares in and around St.-Julien-en-St.-Alban, planted to classic Rhône varieties, both red and white. There are many different soil types here: clay, limestone, gneiss, schist and granite, making for a wide range of different styles of wine to be made. Martin’s passion is to revive the local traditions of working the natural way, both in the vines and in the cellar (native yeast fermentations, no sulfur).
Classic, lovely, simple. 100% Syrah. Slightly peppery and fruity, extra lean and juicy, with notes of violets and cocoa on a ripe and silky palate which ends with a wave of soft tannins.
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Appellation | Côtes du Rhone |
| Vineyard | Brezeme |
| Alcohol | 12.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Country of Origin | FRANCE |
| State of Origin | N/A |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
Brézème is an anomaly in the northern Rhône. It is a single slope of rocky, broken down limestone (compared to the granitic soils that are the norm around these parts) rising above the alluvial plains of the Massif Central. It is only planted to 22ha of vines, with the majority of them farmed by Martin and his father, Eric. Martin’s wine from here is sourced from 30-year-old Syrah vines. Half-destemmed, and pressed after a ten-day maceration. Élevage is done in concrete tank, then bottled unfined and unfiltered with no sulfur added.
