Bois de Boursan produces beautiful, traditional Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Charismatic winemaker Jean-Paul Versino is the third generation of this Italian family in Châteauneuf. The estate now comprises 16 hectares, divided into 27 plots that are spread all over the Châteauneuf territory. Most of the vines are between 40 to 100 years old. The diversity of terroirs and geographies is beneficial when adverse climatic conditions strike. Also, given the vast size of the appellation, each vintage favors certain sectors over others. Only the top parcels make it into the final wine any given year, with the rest is sold to negoçiants. Jean-Paul’s wines have moved into top tier since the early 1990s, and are representative of deep, full, old vine Châteauneufs. The harvest is picked by hand. Two bins are used for sorting the grapes – fine grapes into one and less than perfect into the other for table wine. Versino believes that vinifying with the stems and aging the wine for extended periods in foudres gives Bois de Boursan’s Châteauneuf it’s unique character. This goes against the current trend of winemaking, which uses barriques to make bigger, darker, fruit-forward wines.
