Buisson-Charles – 2016

18.11.2017billn

Tasted in Meursault with Patrick Essa, 19 October, 2017.

Domaine Buisson-Charles
3 Rue de la Velle
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 22 32
domaine.buisson.charles.over-blog

Patrick on 2017:
I’m happy with the quality in 2017, but, here at least, the quantity could have been more. Essentially we still have very little to sell…

Patrick on his 2016 yields:
Because of frost, we had between 30% and zero in our villages plots – though our Meursault in Pellans wasn’t touched – I also decided that some Pommard should be declassified into the Bourgogne. A further 6 barrels of Meursault came from a second harvest in October from later ripening, tiny grapes – and it’s really quite tasty and also quite Meursault – it seems more mineral if less balanced today – I might declassify but will wait and see. On the other hand, some 1er Crus in Meursault or on the hillsides delivered perfectly normal yields – for instance Tessons, normally yields 7 barrels and we had 6. Gouttes d’Or was the most affected by the frost here. Our work and yields are exactly the same as the 1ers as in the Bourgogne – so it’s an expensive Bourgogne at 18 euros, but it sells easily. We are ‘Bio‘ not biodynamic. I made one contact treatment in 2016, and in fact made ‘only‘ 10 treatments, seeing just a little oïdium in Tessons. So-far, I prefer 2015, but 2016 is a super vintage.

The wines…

It’s most like a phase of the elevage, but the ‘smaller’ wines whilst fine never really went the extra mile – unlike the higher appellation wines – simply a brilliant list here – Bravo!

 

2016 Bourgogne Rouge
One parcel in Volnay, plus a second in Puligny. 25% new oak, 50% whole-clusters – to be bottled in February
A broad, fresh, beautifully pinot nose. Fine structure, melting pinot flavour. A weight of finishing flavour. This is a great Bourgogne – but still a Bourgogne to be a little patient with.
2016 Pommard
Frosted 100% at the bottom of the hill, 30% at the top – so 15 hl/ha in the end
More width of aroma, a little faint herb, but beautifully put together. Hmm, crunchy, juicy fruit and a super structure. Great villages

2016 Volnay 1er Les Santenots
50% new oak but only 2 from 4 barrels from 70 yo vines next to Clos 60 Ouvrées
Higher tones, a growing freshness of great fruit. Supple, finer tannin, wide and intense with lingering flavour. Super wine.

2016 Corton Clos du Roi
3 barrels. 100% whole cluster, but old vines right in the middle of the clos.
Less width of aroma vs the Santenots, but a nice depth. Slowly adding floral notes. Layered fresh flavour of very, very high quality.

Les blancs:

2016 Bourgogne Aligoté
A hint of apple here on the wide, slightly diffuse nose. Much more volume than the nose suggests, almost a little orange flavour in the middle. Finishing really long – super!

2016 Bourgogne Chardonnay
From Puligny Les Combes and Meursault Grand Couture
Also a hint diffuse aroma. Supple, a hint of low sulfur style of flavour, but the wine is vibrant and impressive, and it lingers beautifully.

2016 Chablis 1er Les Lys
Wow – an impressively open nose with fine fruit. Layered, with a suggestion of apricot, but all is fresh and super delicious.

2016 Chablis Vaudesir
Hmm, a little less volume but an engaging nose all the same. Hmm, this has much more depth, a little fat, but a fine and melting and mouth-watering, lingering finish. Even better!

2016 Meursault Vieilles-Vignes
Some vines in Pellans here are from 1945. Overall, 50-80 vines.
This nose clearly states that it comes from somewhere different very different to the last two wines. Supple, and really delicious – what more to say?

2016 Meursault Cuvée 45
From the 1945 vines. Probably will blend this with the last – as there is so little of both!
Vibrant, a little honey aroma. Wide, fine intensity, like the last, a melting flavour. Here with a hint of floral otherwise virtually the same as the last.

2016 Meursault Tessons
Vibrant again. I find almost a hint of orange/mandarin in many of these wines. Supple, a little extra freshness vs the VV here with a fine power in the finish.

2016 Meursault 1er Cras
Vines planted at 13k per hectare – despite being old vines – just 0.25 ha.
A fine aromatic freshness again. Ooh! A big fresh wine on the palate, with depth and deliciousness – directly mineral but with sucrosity – bravo – grand vin.
2016 Meursault 1er Les Charmes
Hmmm – this is a wide and perfectly Meursault nose – a beauty. Wide, complex, indeed deliciously complex with brilliant flashes of clarity – great! Even better than Les Cras for me. Encore grand vin.
2016 Meursault 1er Bouches-Chères
Lost 30% to frost.
A fresher nose with a certain vibrance and freshness of fruit. A slower delivery from these waves of flavour, but again delicious flavour, almost some dry extract in the mix too. Long, gorgeous wine. I still prefer the Charmes, but by very little!
2016 Meursault 1er Gouttes d’Or
‘The youngest of the old vines at about 50.’ One new barrel from 3 produced.
Ooh, this smells good – very Meursault but with a very fine balance. Hmm, vibrant, fresh, energetic, super delicious wine. Just a fabulous energy. Almost a grain of tannin in the finish. Superb…

2016 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Caillerets
If I understood correctly, this is actually from Demoiselles, though labelled as Caillerets. Two barrels, both 1-year-old, but both previously used for Puligny wine – “I prefer not to mix, if I can, as I think that wines can mark their barrels.”
A rounder nose, but still vibrant and mineral, whilst sweetly inviting. Tension – yes! Complexity yes! Less overtly energetic than the Gouttes d’Or.

2016 Corton-Charlemagne
Made from Aloxe fruit in Charlemagne. Direct south-facing, close to the cross.
A little apple on the nose. Wow! Here is the energy of the Gouttes and a power that’s not there in the other wines. Currently a hint of barrel to finish, but that will fade. Really a super wine.

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

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