The Wine... This wine smells of fresh (not compoted or stewy or porty) dark berries, along with a bewitching and rare aroma that I often describe as violets, though that simplification may miss the mark slightly. Brezeme is a steep, limestone-rich terroir approximately 20 miles to the south of Hermitage. These vineyards on the eastern banks of the Rhone once rivaled in reputation this much more famous northern neighbor, but by the 20th century barely a hectare of vines remained. Texier has brought this special region back to prominence almost single-handedly. His wine from Brezeme looms above most Cotes du Rhone in qualitative terms. It is an archetype of real Syrah, farmed Biodynamically (and certified by Demeter, though this is not listed on the label) and bottled in a deliberate attempt to elevate Brezeme to the level of Cornas, Hermitage, Cote Rotie... Serve it with lamb and you and your good friends will have a dinner to remember.