Martin Texier "Cerouan" 2023

Press 2 • June/July 2026 Direct Press Selection

Martin Texier is taking over the vines and wines from his dad Eric Texier, who has been an outspoken advocate for the unheralded Northern Rhone appellation of Brèzéme and for natural wine made with intention and precision. Mostly this means working your butt off in the vineyard, as Martin has discovered. All of the vines he grows have been organically grown from the outset and he never uses chemicals in his wines save for a tiny bit of sulfur depending on the vintage. He found quickly that making zero sulfur wines required him to work even harder in the vineyard in order to have grapes healthy enough to successfully vinify without additives. 

Cerouan is 100% Serine and is from the same vineyard that made Eric Texier's "Le Clau" that was featured in Direct Press a few years back. It's made from a selection of very old vines planted in the 1930s. Some think Serine is an older clone of Syrah but they differ enough that ampelographers are not even sure it's Syrah at all. It could be an extremely rare variety such as Bravade or Exbrayat, no one is sure. It does differ from Syrah in that it has far less black olive notes and is fully ripe at lower potential alcohol levels. It's destemmed, fermented and aged in barrel, and has less than 10ppm of sulfur added. It smells fantastic, lush and brambly with blackberry, cacao, and a tinge of bitter herbs and tarragon. Complex but polished, it's a satiating, soulful wine. Perfect for grilling season, but not so bad for sipping near a warm hearth in inclimate weather, either. Jonathan Kemp