Eric Texier, Cotes du Rhone Domaine de Pergaud Brezeme Vieille Serine, 2019

Eric Texier came to wine from nuclear engineering, with no family background in viticulture. His self-taught approach led him to revive nearly extinct regions—Brézème was virtually unknown before his work there. This small pocket on the left bank of the Rhône, between Valence and Montélimar, grows Syrah on limestone marl hillsides but lacks its own appellation. Vieille Serine refers to pre-clonal Syrah varieties from vines over 70 years old—"Serine" being the oldest form of the grape. Texier's winemaking is radically traditional: whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeasts, no sulfur until bottling, and extended aging of 36-48 months in large foudres on fine lees with no fining or filtration. The 2019 Rhône vintage was powerful but vibrant, with fruit concentration but no jamminess. Red fruits, blackcurrant leaves, and olive notes emerge from this boundary-pushing wine.