Martin Texier Cerouan 2023

If the Texier name sounds familiar, there's a good reason. Martin Texier is the son of acclaimed northern Rhône winemaker Eric Texier, a pioneer of honest, terroir-driven wines made with minimal intervention. Like many great vignerons, Martin didn't head straight into wine. After exploring other careers, he eventually found his calling, establishing his own domaine on the border of the Ardèche and northern Rhône in 2014.

Today, Martin farms around five hectares across Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban and Brézème, while also caring for some of his father's vineyards. Together, father and son are helping preserve the region's viticultural heritage by replanting and regrafting vineyards with traditional grape varieties better suited to an increasingly warmer climate.

In the cellar, Martin's philosophy is simple: let the vineyard speak. Fermentations are spontaneous, wines are neither fined nor filtered, ageing takes place in tanks or old barrels, and sulphur is added only when absolutely necessary. While his early wines leaned heavily on carbonic maceration, his style has gradually evolved towards a thoughtful balance of whole-cluster and traditional fermentation.

The result is a collection of wines that remain vibrant, fresh and effortlessly drinkable, yet now carry even greater depth, structure and a more vivid expression of place.

• Syrah