WTN: Texier Brezeme CdR '01...(short/boring)

Tried this Sat w/ Susan:
1. EricTexier Brezeme AC: CdR (12.5%; 100% Syrah; NonFiltre) 2001: Med.dark color w/ some browning; some pungent/smokey/roasted/NorthernRhone slight plummy/Syrah lovely complex nose; classic Texier/tart lightly tannic/smooth quite smokey/pungent/roasted/NRhonish bit tangy/metallic/grapefruity slight plummy/Syrah slight dried out/astringent flavor; med.long slight astringent/dried out tangy/metallic very strong roasted/NRhone/smokey/coffee slight plummy/Syrah complex finish; a beautiful complex NorthernRhone Syrah fully mature nose but drying out some on the palate.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I opened this w/ low expectations...how good could a 11 yr old CdR be?? I was quite surprised as to how good a shape it was in. It had a really beautiful nose of a fully mature NorthernRhone Syrah, w/ a bit of astringency on the palate from drying out. Some 3-4 hrs later, the oxidation caught up w/ it and the wine was pretty shot. But it had its flash of glory and was time to die a quiet death.
I really like EricTexier's wines. They sometimes have an acidity to them that can be...well...electrifying. But they seem to age very/very well...as this one did. I only wish they were more widely available.
Tom

I really like EricTexier's wines. They sometimes have an acidity to them that can be...well...electrifying.

Have you tasted recent vintages? The acidity was electrifying indeed on these Brezemes around the late 90s early 00s vintages, at least in my experience. But that changed throughout the 00s. The wines are still elegant and 'restrained' but the acidity seems much better integrated. I presume Eric would attribute that to his learning about the sites and growing as a winemaker, but perhaps he'll chime in with more knowledgable comments himself.

Nice note, Tom. Calling Brezeme a "Cote du Rhone" is selling the site a bit short. Eric has stated that it is a special location that, for historical reasons, fell out of the public eye, but that should be regarded on the same level with the more hallowed names of the N Rhone. Certainly, the "Domaine du Pergault" wines that he makes from there make the argument quite forcefully that it's a source of profound Syrah (or is it Serine?)

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

Frequent sampling of the '05, '06 and '08 of this wine has shown a continued high acidity, but not so jarring as it once was.