On a serious roll, Bosquet des Papes is ascending quickly to become among the top properties in Chateauneuf, with the guiding hand of consultant Philippe Cambie. With 2017 rivaling the best ever here (some would argue 2016) it is likely, lamentably, to become much more difficult to maintain our allocations for you as world-wide demand intensifies. With one of the wines "a candidate for perfection" according to Wine Advocate's Joe Czerwinski, there is interest.
The pure Grenache cuvee, which honors current winemaker Nicolas Boiron's predecessor, is grown in the Gardiole lieu-dit (sandy soils; which seem to produce a lot of my favorites) and fermented 50% whole cluster, Nicolas Boiron and family introduced this mind-bending offering in 1998. Parker has consistently lauded the wine, rendering the tiny production all the more difficult to acquire. Moreover, Jeb Dunnuck routinely pegs it as a "Best of Chateauneuf" selection in his annual reports.
Another top performer, easily discernable from the aforementioned à la Gloire de mon Grand Père cuvee as leaning towards the "traditional" spectrum, is the extremely old vine cuvee of Chante le Merle. This whole cluster beauty ever so slightly tames the pure Grenache with 5% Syrah as well as 5% Mourvedre. Aging the wine "old school," Nicolas incorporates foudres and demi-muids which allows for more contact of the fermenting solids while avoiding spiciness from barrique aging. This is classic stuff that we old-timers really dig. It pairs beautifully with Grand Père, showcasing Nicolas' styles and varying abilities with Grenache.
Finally – a definite don't miss for value lovers – the Traditional Cuvee is another classic. Old school to the bone, it drinks early and lasts for years. Doesn't require a lot of fanfare either, it's just good ol' fashion, drink me now CDP.