Chateauneuf du Pape, Bois de Boursan 1994

I paid less than $10 for this bottle; to replace it with the current vintage I would have to pay more than $40. It's good for winemakers in Chateauneuf du Pape that Americans have discovered their wine; it's bad for me to find that many of my favorite artisan wines are now priced too high to enjoy on a regular basis.

I've met the winemaker at Bois du Boursan, Jean-Paul Versino, and know the care he puts into producing his wine. He uses traditional methods with whole bunch fermentation, wild yeasts, basket pressing to minimize the extraction and aging in huge old foudres (barrels). He bows to modern practices slightly in his more expensive Cuvee de Felix. With aging in new oak barriques, it has a more international character and less of the warm spiciness I love so much in the traditional version.

I've tasted many vintages (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994) of Bois de Boursan and have found it to be incredibly consistent from year to year.

The 1994 is at a good stage of maturity. Warm spicy aromas with rich, complex flavors of red berries, pepper, spice, iodine. Dances on the tongue. As always, it's an elegant wine that never competes aggressively with the dish on your table but complements it beautifully. Mature and charming.