MARTIN TEXIER PETITE NATURE PET-NAT

Martin has been working this vineyard, an abandoned site in Ardèche with some Chasselas, Muscat and random table grapes, which all ferment together to make his Petite Nature Pet’Nat in the ancestral method. It’s softly sparkling, with pear, white flower, green herbs and a hit of grapefruit, and just enough of a hint of earth to remind you this isn’t your mama’s Prosecco. The overall effect is delicious, bone dry and highly aromatic (think apple cider meets tart lemon candy). Can you say brunch wine?

If the surname rings a bell, it is probably because Martin Texier is the son of quite famous winemaker Eric Texier, who produces unmanipulated and highly terroir-driven wines in northern Rhône. Like his father, Martin had to try out other professions before finally deciding to settle as a winemaker on the border between Ardèche and northern Rhône in 2014.

Martin cultivates about five hectares in the Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban and Brézème regions of northern Rhône and also tends his father’s vineyards in the same areas. The vineyard work is carried out with incredible care and insight, and father and son work together to replant and regraft vineyards with traditional grape varieties that can better handle the ever-increasing impact of global warming.

In the cellar, Martin Texier works with spontaneous fermentation, no fining or filtration, ageing in tank or old barrels and a minimal addition of sulphur if deemed necessary at all. In the beginning, Martin used carbonic maceration a great deal, but as he got to know his terroir better, his style has evolved towards a mix of whole-cluster fermentation and more traditional vinification with destemmed grapes. The style is still elegant and juicy, but in the last few years there has been significantly more depth, seriousness and expression of terroir in his wines.

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