Winemaker Notes
St-Julien en St-Alban is a village and vineyard area at the southernmost edge of the northern Rhône Valley, on the western side of the Rhône River in the Ardèche. Its granite soils, higher altitude and greater overall warmth distinguish it from Texier's other main vineyard site in Brézème, across the Rhône on the east side with limestone soils and slightly cooler temperatures. Like in Brézème, Texier owns some old Serine parcels, as well as some younger clonal Syrah plantings going back 30 to 40 years; for this bottling a well he uses only these "younger" vines. But unlike Brézème, St. Julien does not fall within the Côtes-du-Rhône boundaries, so this bottling--which is otherwise made identically--cannot bear the AOC on the label. The fruit is organically farmed and harvested by hand.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.