2020 Eric Texier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes Rouge

Region: France, Rhône
Farming: Organic
Grape Varieties: Grenache, Mourvèdre

Dry, full-bodied red; vividly elegant | Côte de boeuf

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.

Given the prohibitive prices of land in the region, Eric supplements his own modest vineyards in the Northern Rhône through his activities as a negociant. This gives him access to excellent fruit from the papally-approved Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in the Southern Rhône. 

Grenache is the backbone of this wine, with a cameo appearance from Mourvèdre. The Grenache is from 70-year-old vines in La Crau (north-facing in the North-East of appellation). One week maceration, no pigéage, native yeast fermentation, aged in neutral oak, unfined and unfiltered.

Find out more here.