Wines

Versino's Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is one of the appellation's best, always maintaining acidity and drive even in the warmest of vintages, and this little Vin de France is cut from the same cloth. Made of 100% Clairette from 30-year-old vines planted in clay-limestone (it's the same vineyard source in Jonquieres as the Petit Oursan Rouge), this release blends equal parts 2023 and 2022, and is raised entirely in enameled cuve. Clean, gently floral, and taut but mouthfilling, it shows subtle notes of fresh almonds and fennel; it also completely avoids the confected, fake-yeasted feel that so many wines at this ultra-modest price point suffer from.

The white wine of the domaine represents about 5% of the total production annually. The grape composition is: Clairette 35% / Grenache Blanc 35% / Roussanne 15% / Bourboulenc 15%. The fermentation occurs in enamel tanks and the élevage extends for six months only before bottling. The wine can be enjoyed young for its freshness but its mineral core reaches its ultimate expression several years later.

In 2015, Jean-Paul acquired some acreage outside the town of Joncquières, about 10 kilometers northeast of Châteauneuf-du-Pape en route to the Plan de Dieu. In addition to a small planting of Clairette, the vineyard consists of 1.8 hectares of Grenache, 0.6 hectares of Syrah, and 1.3 hectares of Merlot, planted between 25 and 35 years ago. This is a relatively cool terroir compared to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with soils of gravelly clay, and Jean-Paul uses these vines as the basis of his “Le Petit Oursan”—a play on both the word “ours” (“bear” in French) and his family name. Comprising 75% steel-tank-raised fruit from these Joncquières holdings and 25% de-classified Châteauneuf-du-Pape vinified and aged in cement, this cuvée shows excellent freshness, and a strong local flair despite the presence of some Merlot. It’s very much a Bois de Boursan wine, too, in its combination of lifted red fruits and charmingly earth-tinged rusticity. The final blend comprises roughly 45% Grenache, 40% Merlot, and 15% Syrah.

The classic red of the domaine accounts for approximately 85% of the annual production of the estate.  It is composed of 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and a balance of other traditional varieties. The grapes are not destemmed, the cuvaison lasts for three weeks and the élevage encompasses an additional 18 months in traditional foudre wood vats before the wine is bottled unfiltered. The fruit is perfectly in balance with the textural elements, showing typical dark fruit notes with discernible energy and liveliness. Its slighty sauvage character and firm structural backbone is leavened by its exceptional breed.

A special selection of grapes from the lowest-yielding, best-exposed vines is made to produce this elite cuvée which, in years that merit its existence, represents about 10% of the annual production of the domaine. Grenache represents 65% of this cuvée but mourvèdre plays an increasingly important role (25%) while Syrah (5%) and an assortment of other grape varieties (5%) complete the blend. This wine is aged in smaller barriques of older origin (two to six years of age). The “Cuvée des Félix” is a more tannic and reserved wine than the “Tradition,” with additional nuance that appears as the wine ages.

In our pursuit to support and maintain the greatest traditions of fine European wines, we asked Jean-Paul—who shares our values—to age a selection of his finest two barrels of wine (65% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 10% others) from an extraordinary vintage for an additional year, so as to replicate more closely the most profound wines of the past. The result is what is known as “Cuvée des Félix – Sélection Jean-Paul Versino”, which is an exceptionally complex and complete expression of this great terroir. Energetic fruit is sewn into a graceful backbone, all of which is lifted from the palate by surprising acidity. This is one to lay in the cellar and enjoy after a decade or more.