Jean-Paul Versino’s special Cuvée des Félix (curiously the name of both of Jean-Paul’s grandfathers) macerates for around 4 weeks and later ages in used Burgundian and Bordelais casks. The blend comes from circa 5 hectares consisting of Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (25%), Syrah (5%) and a few other varieties. Tasting samples of his 2006 and 2005 Félix respectively, one notices no overt wood aromas or tannins. The wines have substance to support the wood. This unfiltered cuvée comes predominantly from three Châteauneuf-du-Pape quartiers: a parcel near La Nerthe, a plot by La Crau (called Blaquières), and an easterly sloping site on Pied de Baud near Mont-Redon. The roughly 90-year-old vines are cropped at a mere 20 hl/ha.

My favorite, however, is the “Tradition,” as the top Rhône expert John Livingstone-Learmonth likes to define these classic wines. It comes from diverse old-vine parcels spread throughout the appellation and with a strict selection at the vine; yields are low at between 28-30 hl/ha. Eighty percent of his holdings are covered with stones. In 1994, they had a total of 9 hectares under vine, now they have 16 hectares from more diverse well-placed terroirs. Vineyard care is without herbicides. He uses only eight harvesters, who pick with two buckets over a long harvest. The good grapes go to vat, the others are rapé. Usually, Syrah ripens first and is picked and later blended with some Grenache then comes more Grenache blended with late-ripening Mourvèdre. The blend is 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and 5% other. The Tradition has an 18-20 day maceration and is aged in old 40-45 hl foudres for over 18 months and bottled unfiltered. As with Félix, there is no destemming and a percentage of his Félix goes into the Tradition each year. This wine is fruitier than Félix, but with drier tannins. Open-minded, he experimented in the 2003 vintage with a batch of destalked grapes that later was bottled under the name of Les Bauds, which consisted of roughly 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre.

Since Jean-Paul still uses an old basket press and ferments with whole bunches, he is one of the few producers using these two time-honored methods of wine-making. For him, the dividing line between old-style and modern Châteauneuf begins with the destemmer.

Both wines, Tradition and Félix, have what he would describe as asphalt on the palate. I also get réglisse and herbs. They have meaty aromas, too. He avoids extraction via pigeage, rather prefers remontage. His are true vins de garde with tannins and noticeable length at the back of the palate.

Domaine Bois de Boursan initially started as his white-wine label and eventually evolved into an export label for both red and white. He wanted to create something new with this name and felt the traditional label had no space for it. His local clients and an importer in the UK refused to accept the new label, so he has continued on with the old. I hope he keeps to the original label and bottle and the generic red Châteauneuf capsules.

Tags: Bois de Boursan, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, John Livingstone-Learmonth, Versino

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