Domaine Bois de Boursan, Chateauneuf Du Pape, Tradition

I was still young enough to believe I had Châteauneuf-du-Pape all figured out when I first walked into the cellar at Bois de Boursan with my father in 2007. The place was a cave—cold stone walls, low-hung bulbs, and barrels packed so tightly they looked like they’d been aging there since the war. The air smelled of wet limestone, fermenting Grenache, and the kind of humility that only exists where the work speaks louder than the winemaker. I arrived convinced that Châteauneuf was a region addicted to power—ripeness, alcohol, excess—and walked out realizing I’d been judging it by its loudest performers instead of its greatest ones. There are maybe three producers in the appellation whose wines truly move me: Rayas, Henri Bonneau, and this one. Bois de Boursan belongs in that same breath yet remains priced like a secret. Open a bottle and you’ll see it immediately—this is Châteauneuf that behaves like Burgundy-grown Grenache: lifted, tensile, herbal, soulful, and built on grace rather than torque. It’s already gorgeous today, but forget about it for a few years and you’ll strike gold.

The estate is as old-world as they come—ten quiet hectares of vines inside the appellation limits, planted and tended by founder Jean Versino, who arrived in 1955 with little more than a few rented parcels, a farmer’s work ethic, and the belief that Châteauneuf didn’t need reinventing, only respecting. Over time he pieced together twenty-seven tiny plots like a mosaic, each with its own soil and exposure, ultimately planting all thirteen traditional grape varieties of the region. Today his son, Jean-Paul, carries the torch exactly as his father intended: organic farming, no shortcuts, no showmanship—just the quiet confidence of tradition. The wines are still made the slow way: whole-cluster fermentation, long macerations, and aging in old, neutral foudres that have seen more vintages than most winemakers have birthdays. Just a family doing things the way they always have, because time keeps proving them right.

The “Tradition” cuvée represents about 85% of the domaine’s production, and in 2022 it is built around 65%+ Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, and a balance of the remaining permitted varieties. The grapes are co-fermented whole cluster, macerated for three weeks, then aged for 18 months in large, neutral foudres before being bottled unfiltered. This is not the modern, polished, high-octane style of Châteauneuf—it’s the opposite: red-fruit-driven, savory, earth-toned, and shaped more by freshness than power. The 2022 vintage in particular leans toward balance, lift, and classical structure, making this one of the most cellar-worthy releases the domaine has produced in recent years.

In the glass, the wine shows a dark ruby core fading to pale ruby at the rim, with lifted aromatics of wild berries, cassis, garrigue, and crushed pepper, all backed by a faint savory depth—mushroom, soy, black olive, earth—that sets Bois de Boursan apart from its flashier neighbors. It is already a joy to drink, but it will age gracefully for 10–12+ years. If opening now, give it a 1-hour decant and serve just above cellar temperature in Burgundy stems. Pair it not like a Rhône red, but like a fine Côte de Nuits Pinot: medium-rare duck breast with wild mushrooms, roast chicken with herbs, lamb chops, truffle pasta, or anything autumnal and earthy. Buy enough to drink one now—and enough to forget a few in the cellar.