2024 Éric Texier 'Chat Fou' Côtes-du-Rhône

Aromas of tart cherry, raspberry, and violet are lifted by a hint of licorice and a whisper of fresh herbs. The palate is light-bodied and silky, with juicy red berry fruit, a touch of peppery spice, and a lively, mouthwatering acidity that keeps the wine energetic from first sip to finish. Serve with a slight chill.

The three varieties are harvested separately by hand, partly destemmed, and co-fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in open-top concrete tanks with a maceration of no more than four days. No extraction techniques are ever applied. The wine is aged in concrete on its fine lees for around 12 months, then bottled without fining or filtration with only a small amount of sulfur. Texier describes it plainly as a "vin bistro," and he means it.

The blend draws from certified-organic Texier estate and sourced vines, mainly in the St-Julien-en-St-Alban zone of the Ardèche at the southern edge of the Northern Rhône Valley. Cinsault became the intentionally dominant variety starting with the 2023 vintage, as Texier feels it is better suited to a changing climate and more naturally expressive of the light, fresh style he is after. The 2024 blend is 50% Cinsault, 30% Grenache, and 20% Clairette.