Éric Texier, "Le Clau 2016" [1.5L]

This is a very special, magnum-only (!) bottling from Éric + Laurence Texier who work in several appellations they all but entirely revived -- Brézème and St. Julien-en-St. Alban of France's Northern Rhône Valley.

Tasting: How many Serines have you tried? This hyper-rare bottling is brighter and fresher than Syrahs from the same area, with pepper and spearmint on the nose and the finish. A medium-bodied palate that is a sumptuous dance between plummy fruit and more thorny, brambly acidity. Gorgeous, unique, delicious.

Vinification: 100% Serine (pre-clonal variant of Syrah) in this debut bottling hand-harvested from its eponymous vineyard where the vines are ~90 years-old in the Northern Rhône's southernmost appellation, St. Julien-en-St. Alban (western side of the river). The grapes are vinified whole-cluster where 20% of the whole is lightly crushed and the fermenting juice (ambient yeasts; no temp. control) is in contact with the stems, skins, + seeds for 5-7 days. Élevage lasts 15 months in old demi-muids. Unfined, unfiltered, no additional SO2.