Tasted in Meursault with Patrick Essa, 10 June 2021.
Domaine Buisson-Charles
3 Rue de la Velle
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 22 32
www.buisson-charles.com
More reports with Domaine Buisson-Charles
Patrick on 2021 and a little on 2020:
“In 2021, most of our pruning wasn’t done when the frost hit – that obviously saved us to an extent – the reds are practically looking normal – we lost plenty in the crus though and Meursault Cras was the worst but otherwise not so bad. We started our harvesting 01 september in 2020 – many others here had already finished – our Pommard was the last harvested on the 20th September. Overall, we saw 35-42 hl/ha in 2020.”
Patrick on 2019:
“I loved those grapes, the balance was fantastic – it’s just that we had quite a low yield – we will actually have more grapes in frosty 2021! ”
The wines…
I always enjoy my visits to this domaine and always find a number of wines that are worth a special search to buy – that was still the case for these 2020s, despite me tasting 3-4 months earlier than most other vintages. Well-done Pat!
An early look at many of the domaine’s 2020s plus a few bottled wines to finsh with:
This is a deep, concentrated, wine but with purity too – wow for the label. No sulfur at this stage – indeed at any stage – the malo not quite finished. Silky, concentrated a little (malo) bite from the acidity but really incredibly impressive wine. A properly licorice last flavour to this wine. Grand bourgogne, despite its 15.5% – wow!
2020 Pommard Chiveau
On the hillside so fresher here – only 14 degrees! Planted in 1984 with grandfather
A smaller nose, faintly floral. Extra silk, again a little prickle from the acidity. Velvety, modestly grained, tannin. Here there’s a little more dimension and energy in the finish. Calmer. Finer less powerful but has more finesse…
2020 Volnay 1er Fremiets
A hot place so this was the first harvested, three weeks before the last – all whole cluster.
A nose of volume, the barrel note a little present, slightly toasted and showing a faint touch of tobacco. Mouthfilling, more structural wine, still a prickle from the acidity, though the malo is long finished here. The first wine that’s framed with a faint dryness of tannin but there’s no grain here. This is a potentially great wine if the acidity gains composure…
2020 Volnay 1er Santenots
70-year-old vines next to Clos 60 Ouvrées
Here is a floral note, some wc-perfume, even a graphite suggestion. Direct, fresh, then some growth of ultra-fine grained tannin but flavour-packed too. Lip-smacking finishing flavour and energy. I find this to be super!
Pat is considering blending his different cortons this vintage – he has 6 barrels
A deep nose, full of energy and aromatic complexity. Direct, mineral, muscular, driving. Bravo wine – let’s see if it’s bottled alone!
Les Whites:
2020 Meursault Millerandes
Here’s a nicely vibrant nose, suggesting, but not quite delivering, a little reduction. Structural, nicely intense, wide and with a proper minerality in the finishing flavour, almost a faint phenolic lick to the last flavour…
2020 Meursault Pellans La Vigne de 1945
Some vines in Pellans here are from 1945. No new oak, but not too old barrels. Only some SO2 after racking.
Here is a depth of stony aroma – perhaps faintly reductive as the stoniness fades to be replaced with a nicely floral accent. There’s extra depth to this impressive flavour, slightly creamy the old vines or the barrel – either way this is delicious wine of impressive depth of flavour – it’s excellent! And so persistent too!
Ooh – thats a super Meursault nose, faintly ginger-spiced, even fainter white flowers. Vibrant, complex, young but structural, great Meursault.
2020 Meursault 1er Cras
Vines planted at 13k per hectare – despite being old vines – just 0.25 ha. ‘These are old pants that mature quickly, and with less acidity than many, so always the first harvested, but retaining a good pH.
Mineral, energetic, thats a very inviting nose. Very mineral and energetic in the mouth too. There’s extra intensity here – that’s just so excellent but I’d wait for it to calm while drinking the Tessons…
2020 Meursault 1er Bouches-Chères
Always the last harvested due to altitude, but not orientation
A deeper, rounder nose – not quite ready. Super in the mouth though – the vibrancy of this wine and its shape are just so fresh and engaging. There’s great width of finishing flavour too. Not quite showing its best but showing many great parts at this stage…
2020 Meursault 1er Gouttes d‘Or
A more up and down mineral nose – structural aromatics. Saline attack, concentrated, great structure here, so mouth-watering – not ready but already very impressive
Some bottled 19s:
No fining or filtration for the 19s – it’s the first time:
2019 Bourgogne Aligote
A caresse to this soft but direct nose – impressive. Lovely depth and with layers of mouthwatering flavour too- delicious!
2019 Meursault Vieilles-Vignes
A slightly smoky spice with a faintly floral accompaniment – that’s a nice nose. There’s impressive intensity here, weight but never heavy. Slightly structural finishing but very long. This is showing beautifully.
2019 Meursault Pellans La Vigne de 1945
A particular minerality here, almost a faint pyrazine. Also in the mouth but the shape and minerality here are super-impressive. Not my favourite because of the pyrazine but for the insensitive, here is great shape and persistence – almost great villages.
Some 2018s:
A little reduction and faint ginger spice. Thats a properly structural wine, with flavour that really takes of from the mid-palate – thats really great!
Back to the more vibrant, more overtly mineral aroma. Fuller with a little more concentration behind. Super width and matching acidity. I love this wine in most vintages, particularly in 2018!
2018 Chassage-Montrachet 1er Caillerets
A vibrant nose with a little barrel spice. Melting over the palate. Mineral, deep, faintly reductive flavours. Super finishing.