Aromas of Plump cherry, raspberry compote, charcuterie – fennelly sausage or mortadella – and white pepper mixed with a melange of dried herbs. The palate is filled with raspberries and black cherries, peppercorns, full bodied and etched with tannins, tarry earth, and sage. The finish includes touches of lavender, dried fruit, and pepper. If this all sounds good, give thanks to Jean & Jean-Paul Versino, winemakers at the storied Chateauneuf-du-Pape house Bois de Boursan. Apparently, making some of the most elegant and soulful Chateaunuef-du-Pape available wasn’t enough to fill up all their time, so they found a vineyard just a few miles down the road from the homestead that contained Grenache, Syrah, and Merlot, whose presence relegates wine made here to Vin de France status. The quality of the vineyard proved too much to resist, and they bought the property to make this utterly charming, suave-yet-rustic Rhone at an incredible price.