Tasted in Meursault with François Buisson, 01 July 2020.

Domaine Buisson-Battault
5 rue du 11 novembre
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 29 26
www.buisson-battault.com

François Buisson is, no surprise, part of the extended Meursault family which encompasses Domaines Buisson-Charles, Ballot-Millot and others. On his father’s side, François is a 6th generation winemaker – “and practically the same on my mother’s side, back to before phylloxera,” he says. The house of the domaine was bought by François’ grandfather and was actually a moutardière – a mustard factory – between the time of phylloxera and the second world war – though its cellars remain a testament to its much earlier connection to wine.

There are 8.5 hectares of vines in the domaine producing 14 different appellations. This is essentially a white wine domaine, red accounting for just 5% of the production. “We have plenty of Bourgogne,” says François, “But those vines are in the commune of Meursault.” About half of the wines are exported from here; “I keep a reasonable tariff – not too high – so we have plenty of private clients.”

François says that the 2020 harvest “looks like it should be a good one. Not quite the volume of 2018 as the number of grapes is much less regular, but still should be good.” Interestingly, given how early 2020 looks, in 1893 it was an August 25 harvest here.

François on 2018:
Yes, there was plenty of wine in 2018 but when we look back, all the big volume vintages turned out to be good ones. We pruned as normal but the vines still delivered extra, mainly because single buds often produced two clusters – you don’t often see that. I don’t like to be too early harvesting as I don’t like acidic wine but I don’t want exotic or pineapple flavours either. I still had 13-13.8° when picked but it’s the balance that counts. I like to keep all the lees when the grapes are clean, it surely brings something extra, and in 2018 I used all the lees – but with practically no battonage – only 2-3 times, total.

The wines…

Wines that I don’t see very often – but I’m sure the regular buyers here are very satisfied. The 2018s, in particular, have beautiful aromatics but are backed up with great energy too. A very successful domaine in 2018!

These were all bottled in April 2020. DIAM is just used for the Aligoté, the rest are all cork:

2018 Aligoté
Exceptionally, no barrels used this year.
Hmm, quite perfumed. Supple, some fat, nicely vibrant in the middle, a fragrant wine too – lovely.

2018 Meursault Vieilles-Vignes
This VV includes grapes from Pellans, Corbin and Malpiorier. ‘The name of this is a little marketing but the customers like it. For me 40 years is the starting point for old vines but some are 80 here.’
Very perfumed, that’s lovely. Mouth-filling, vibrant concentrated, layers of finishing flavour too. Thats really a super villages wine!

2018 Meursault Le Limozin
Also nicely perfumed but here showing a little more aromatic drive. Wider, more mobile, less vibrant but still with plenty of energy. The finish here is more intense and with excellent length. Excellent wine again…

2018 Meursault Les Criots
Near Santenots.
Again there’s the family perfume – so attractive. Fuller, mineral, a big mouthful of wine here, certainly a more mineral finishing wine, slowly mouth-watering, this for keeping 3-4 years I think – ‘Yes, the 15 is just starting to show very well…‘

2018 Meursault 1er Les Charmes
‘From the bottom of the top and top of bottom’ – ie the middle!
Floral perfume again, with a nice line. Wider, more depth to the flavour, nicely textured too. A burst of the perfume in the finishing flavours – flavours that hold tenaciously. Slowly, slowly fading. The action is all in the middle for this wine today but absolutely delicious action.

2018 Meursault 1er Genevrières Dessus
This is the first nose that has a clearly different personality. Still a perfume but also a wider Vosne style of granular complexity – that’s lovely. More mobile and ethereal but still with concentration. Minerality, complexity, nothing harsh, yet still worth waiting for – super long too – I love this…

2018 Meursault 1er Poruzots
A freshly mineral and more subtly perfumed nose, but it grows in the glass. Hmm, this has yet another character, nice energy, a little more drive and direction, mineral, intense, ooh thats super, wait a year or two – but only if you must!

2017 Meursault Vieilles-Vignes
Bigger, slightly reductive, it’s a vibrant Meursault nose. This is concentrated, fuller, fine energy, really big in the middle.

2017 Meursault 1er Gouttes d’Or
An attractive accent of reduction, almost in the direction of coffee bean (I haven’t had one yet!). Also a mineral wine, slightly more energetic. Tons of flavour energy and complexity – here with a little of the perfume of the 18s. Another excellent wine – lovely…

2017 Meursault 1er Poruzots
The perfume, deep, less wide. Really a mouth-filler. Classic Meursault flavour mixing with minerals and small points of fine acidity. More composed than the 18 but such a fine and balanced finishing concentration too. Excellent Meursault.

And something red?

2018 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Vines in Meursault
Plenty of colour. A bright berry fruit nose. Mouth-filling, a little cordial style but the balance of fruit and acid is good and the finish is excellent – very tasty here.

2018 Pommard
From Combes
Similar colour to the Bourgogne. Wider, deeper, but freshness and even a little floral perfumed. Hmm, thats got a little more structure but there is a good balance here. Still a little cordial style to the fruit but this is very tasty all the same. The finish is lovely – tasty wine again…

2018 Beaune Epenottes
Like the whites a string perfume here – these old vines planted by grandfather. Fresh, more direct, lovely depth of energetic flavour, the best fruit of these. Excellent.