Tasted with Franck and Fred Buisson in Saint Romain, 07 March, 2017.

Domaine Henri et Gilles Buisson
21190 Saint Romain
Tel : +33 3 80 21 27 91
www.domaine-buisson.com

On 2016:
“Really heterogenous – globally we lost a lot. St.Romain’s east-facing slopes lost about 50%, the west-facing vines were less affected. We made some treatments quite early and this probably helped – younger parcels, the most vigorous, were the most attacked by mildew, but the pressure from this eased in July. In the end we lost at least 50% vs the allowed rendement – but it’s fair to say that we are rarely at this level. Many of parcels were only about 15% down – but all of our Beaune was lost – and that’s 1.5 hectares for example. From the 14 July we had really super weather, and I think there be plenty of freshness to the wines – I think that 1996 might be a good comparison – at least my father says they looked very similar!”

On 2015:
“2015 was of-course much more regular. 2 or 3 parcels lost volume due to the dryness – such as Corton Renardes, but globally I would say that our results were magnificent! Our 11 hectares in St-Romaine really had a great combination of freshness plus the maturity that is possible here. Of-course hand harvested, double triage tables. It was ice to make the harvest in Corton and then stop for a couple of days before attacking the Volnay and Beaune – then another pause before finally attacking the vine in St.Romain vines. We don’t have much more than 13/13.5 alcohols as we really don’t want to lose the little red fruits. Our grandfather had never used potassium in the 1960s so we can hold onto a good acidity. Particularly, I think that we had a really good quality of light in 2015.”

The wines…

A domaine that has the gold-standard for wine in St.Romain – there are brilliant wines of both colours here in 2015. There is richness but freshness and a delicious delivery to these wines – they are very easy to drink already – too easy! – but enjoyment is all! Most have been in bottle for about 1 month – bottling was a little later than normal as ‘it’s a powerful vintage.’ The 1ers and grands will be bottled in maybe another month.

It is always a mix of whole clusters and destemmed fruit here. 2015 allowed more whole clusters than usual, so there was as much as 40% used in this vintage, but the quantity was different for all the parcels. Of the two (almost) ‘natural’ wines, I have a preference for the exuberant red, the lack of sulfur seems to always affect the aromatics of whites much more – but I must say that palate of the white is really excellent!

Half bottles are sealed with DIAM, the rest are all natural cork.

2015 Bourgogne Rouge
Mainly from the plateau above St.Romain – just above Sous la Roche – and the rest from declassified grapes from other vines such as Beaune and from the St.Romain reds – vinified for the fruit.
A modest colour. The nose has a warm red fruit. Supple, round, nice shape and attack. A lovely core of good intensity that slowly moves through the mid-palate on into the finish. Long and lip-smacking. Super Bourgogne.

2015 St.Romain Combe Bazin
A little extra colour. A fresher nose brighter and of good line. More intense, more line of flavour hear – mouth-watering, long, layered and even the finishing flavours hold a fine, delicious, intensity with a lot of perfume in the mouth. Really tasty.

2015 Beaune 1er Les Prevolles
Below Tuvilains
Good colour. A deeper, darker fruit, a little impression of dark minerality too – very inviting and slowly adding some floral notes. Good volume in the mouth, plenty of structure but fine mouth-watering flavour. Round but weighty wine, layers of finishing flavour. Yum!

2015 Corton Le Rognets et Corton
‘A fresher area here, always a tannin of finesse‘
Width, but really a super-impressive depth, still with fine red fruit, modestly inflected with some minerality. Hmm, this is fresh and intense, layers of fresh flavour, concentrated and fresh flavour. Long long long. Super wine.

The whites:
“Our different terroirs have different tonalities – it’s important for us to show that, not just a St.Romain blend – we have 4 different hillsides, plain west and east at the extremes. In the 1980s everyone wanted richness, it has slowly changed – maybe with the fabulousness of the young 1996s, but now everyone wants tension not richness. In some respects it may be being pushed too far – do people want to taste something like a Petit Chablis from their Meursault?”

2015 Bourgogne Blanc
Lots of declassified young vines, and from the bas des perrieres in St.Romain
The nose starts with a fresh fruit, faintly toasty. Fresh and delicious in the mouth – good line through the middle – there’s a modest mineral line here and really a fine mouth-watering finish. Just a fine wine with a hint of flavour richness. Yum!

2012 Saint Romain La Perrière
80 metres between the bottom and top of the vines, sometimes 5 days between harvesting everything. This like sous le chateau only in bottle for 2-3 weeks, the others were done in September.
Wider, deeper, a toasty note again – probably a faint reduction. More mineral, more energy, mouth-watering flavour and good concentration too. A more intense flavour. Long long flavour. Super…