Tasted with Franck and (only very shortly) Fred Buisson in Saint Romain, 21 June 2023.
Domaine Henri et Gilles Buisson
21190 Saint Romain
Tel : +33 3 80 21 27 91
www.domaine-buisson.com
More reports with Domaine Henri et Gilles Buisson
On 2023, so far:
“We are happy right now. It was trickier early in April and May because we had a couple of mm of rain most days and not much wind so we worried about fungal infections in the vines. The end of May onwards it was warmer and drier, so fewer worries about the onset of rot and it was perfect for the flowering – but then of course it was soon getting dry – but the rain of the last 10 days has helped a lot – we had some small hailstones in the rain on Monday but tiny and we don’t see any damage.”
On 2021:
“20 and 21 are all reserved and/or sold that’s sure – 35k bottles in 2021 – in 2022 it was 120k from our 20 hectares. The bottlings were done, mainly, in October/November though the Bourgogne was done just before the harvest – only the Corton was done in January of this year.”
The wines…
Always delicious wines here but it was always going to be hard for these 2021s to follow their great 2020 vintage – and so it turned out. These 21s are still very worth wines and you can keep them too!
Half bottles and generics are sealed with DIAM here, the rest are all natural cork – Ndtech for most of their production. With the new label also comes a small wax seal on top but no capsule. “We have always tried the screw-cap, the DIAM and Guala. For the Absolut looking for something ‘more serious’ but fully biodynamic, for that reason we can’t leave cork behind – DIAM is used for the 2 Bourgognes only – but we keep asking each other the questions. Plastic and screw-caps work very well but are not accepted by some of their customers.” All the reds have elevage without sulfur – unlike the whites, all 228-litre. A short range in 2021 so a shorter tasting too:
2021 Bourgogne Rouge
From the plateau above Sous Roche
A round and easy nose – open, delicate red fruit – some powdery style. Today, the palate is more interesting than the nose – with energy and more direct intensity – a slightly austere style to this – I would wait a year or two – but the fresh energy is infectious.
2021 St.Romain (Rouge) Sous Roche
3 hectares, a lot of massale selection and over 60-year-old vines – these older vines in the heart of the valley a mix of south and more west-facing vines.
More colour here. Finer, more depth of red fruit here – still quite airy. Hmm – extra intensity and just enough generosity. Vibrant and finishing extra broad – a super finish. Excellent and possibly for keeping too – if you wish…
2021 Saint Romain Sous Roche Absolut
This is the sole wine that doesn’t get sulfured before bottling.
Another small increase in the depth of colour. The most generous and attractive nose yet – lovely depth to this aroma. Silky, beautifully structured. Easiy the more generous of the two today.
2021 Corton Renardes
Here we were down to about 30% whole clusters in 2021 – versus nearer 70% in the more recent, warmer, vintages.
The wc is visible in this one but it’s very nicely perfumed. Fuller, full of energy then an explosion of flavour over the palate – structure and energy and very good length. That’s a super wine…
The whites:
2021 Saint Romain La Perrière
80 metres between the bottom and top of the vines, sometimes 5 days between harvesting everything. A cooler, more stony area. This and the last has about 10% new wood but with 300 and 500-litre barrels…
Direct, yellow citrus, slightly structural nose. Mineral, incisive, saline, juicy wine – modest intensity length but still a super wine.
2021 Saint Romain Sous la Velle
The heart of the valley, more clay here, also the oldest vines of the domaine, almost 80 but other plantings too – more than 2 hectares in the middle of the slope
More airy and a bit floral top notes. Ooh – a hint of reduction, very mineral, some modest oak flavour too – zesty finishing – another super wine – excellent.
2021 St.Romain Sous le Château
A rounder nose, a hint oak influence here – softer fruit. Vibrant, almost Meursault style – a little chalky but balanced with juicy, finishing flavour. Delicious but I’d be waiting for the oak to fade – have a year or tow patience.