2016 Eric Texier Domaine de Pergaud St. Julien en St. Alban Rouge Vieilles Vignes

Region: France, Rhône
Farming: Organic
Grape Varieties: Syrah

Dry, med-bodied red; violets, berries | Kebabs!

Much like Brézème, St. Julien en St. Alban is an endangered appellation. On the opposite bank to Brézème, St. Julien en St. Alban vines are on gneiss at a total altitude of 500m (200m higher than Brézème). Curiously enough, St. Julien en St. Alban is consistently warmer than Brézème, highlighting the peculiarity of the latter's microclimate. Eric's total annual production is around 16,000 bottles.

Eric Texier made the unprecedented leap from nuclear engineer to winemaker in the early 1990s. In keeping with his rigorous academic background, he studied oenology in Bordeaux. While learning the ropes in the Mâcon at Verget by day, he burned the midnight oil reading original handbooks and manuals from the 19th century to learn about long-lost styles and vinification techniques.

"Domaine de Pergaud" marks Eric's wines from his oldest red and white vines in both Brézème and St. Julien en St. Alban. The name is an homage to François Pouchoulin's Domaine de Pergault. When Eric began his pilgrimage into wine, Pouchoulin (also known as the "godfather of Brézème") introduced him to this corner of the Rhône. In many ways, Eric has now picked up the mantle from Pouchoulin, who had single-handedly kept the name alive for the previous 50 years.

Find out more here.