by Patrick Ogle
Martin Texier Petite Nature 2015 Pet Nat is a little funky but not too funky. This sparkler has pithiness mixed with pear and a tad of grapefruit. There are hints of minerality and a little dirtiness lurking around. There is something like white flower/nectar in the nose and taste too. Add to this herbal, green notes and a nice acidic backbone and you have an interesting wine.
This vino is all over the place and I mean that in the best possible way. Nothing here really overwhelms the other parts to me--no specific fruit or earth. There are a lot of subtle facets.
When I say dirty it isn't super manure funky or even that forest floor loamy-ness. It is just enough of a hint of earth to accent the wine's overall rustic nature. It is fun, which is what I am looking for in pet nat. While I have had some elegant pet nats and that is wonderful but you can get that from champagnes. For me? bring on the fun with these wines. The bubbles don't hang around forever. Don't keep this open for hours upon hours.
Pet nats are surprising in how they are made (which we've discussed) but they also point out that the Champagne method is not the only way to make quality sparkling wines. This wine uses unusual grapes and that is often the case as well.
Martin Texier is the son of Eric Texier, a French natural winemaker. The wine is from a vineyard that was a gift from dad to son. This was apparently an old, abandoned vineyard planted with a variety of grapes including chasselas, muscat and various table grapes. The vineyard is in Ardèche near Saint Julien-en-Saint Alban. Part of the fun of this wine is also the grapes. Who knows what is in it? It is a brave winemaker who says "OK, let's see what happens when we do (fill in the blank)."
Often this attitude leads to the undrinkable but here it is a great summer sparkler.
Find out more about Texier HERE.
Martin Texier Petite Nature 2015 Pet Nat is a little funky but not too funky. This sparkler has pithiness mixed with pear and a tad of grapefruit. There are hints of minerality and a little dirtiness lurking around. There is something like white flower/nectar in the nose and taste too. Add to this herbal, green notes and a nice acidic backbone and you have an interesting wine.
This vino is all over the place and I mean that in the best possible way. Nothing here really overwhelms the other parts to me--no specific fruit or earth. There are a lot of subtle facets.
When I say dirty it isn't super manure funky or even that forest floor loamy-ness. It is just enough of a hint of earth to accent the wine's overall rustic nature. It is fun, which is what I am looking for in pet nat. While I have had some elegant pet nats and that is wonderful but you can get that from champagnes. For me? bring on the fun with these wines. The bubbles don't hang around forever. Don't keep this open for hours upon hours.
Pet nats are surprising in how they are made (which we've discussed) but they also point out that the Champagne method is not the only way to make quality sparkling wines. This wine uses unusual grapes and that is often the case as well.
Martin Texier is the son of Eric Texier, a French natural winemaker. The wine is from a vineyard that was a gift from dad to son. This was apparently an old, abandoned vineyard planted with a variety of grapes including chasselas, muscat and various table grapes. The vineyard is in Ardèche near Saint Julien-en-Saint Alban. Part of the fun of this wine is also the grapes. Who knows what is in it? It is a brave winemaker who says "OK, let's see what happens when we do (fill in the blank)."
Often this attitude leads to the undrinkable but here it is a great summer sparkler.
Find out more about Texier HERE.
RSS Feed