2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Folie

Nicolas Boiron and his family run Bosquet des Papes. They own 32 hectares of vines inside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. Vineyards are scattered over 45 parcels, in places such as La Gardiole, Pignan, Monpertuis and the Plateau de Mont Redon, where the oldest vines are well over 100 years old. Boiron started working on his family’s winery in 1995, with 2004 being the first vintage he vinified without his father. Two of his three daughters are about to join him as they already represent the 6th generation of the Boiron family who runs Bosquet des Papes. To compensate for harvesting relatively late, Boiron usually keeps around 60% whole bunches from both Grenache and Mourvèdre during fermentation, helping improve structure and adding some herbaceous funkiness. He also works with a relatively long period of skin contact for up to six weeks, starting with three to four days of cold maceration. After pressing, the wines mature for 12 to 15 months in foudre and demi-muids, with a new oak proportion of around 20%. The Cuvée La Folie is an exception: the wine matures for 18 months, and the amount of new oak raises to 80%, which results in a more opulent and modern style. Readers who are fans of Cuvées A la Gloire de Mon Grand-Père and La Folie get nothing in 2021, as both wines weren’t produced. Due to the crop loss, mainly driven by the frosts in April, Boiron wanted to maintain the quality of his traditional bottling, using grapes from parcels that usually go into those other Cuvées. Indeed, the 2021 Cuvée Tradition performs well, but it doesn't match the quality showcased by its predecessors, the 2020 and 2019 vintages, which exhibit greater complexity and firmer structure. However, the 2021 Cuvée Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes shows the potential to rank alongside its 2020 and 2019 siblings.