Tasted in Meursault with Patrick Essa, 10 October 2018.
Domaine Buisson-Charles
3 Rue de la Velle
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 22 32
domaine.buisson.charles.over-blog
Patrick on 2018:
“Flowering was same time in 2018 as in 2017 it was just ripening that was different. We had more regular rain in 2017 so for us 2017 was ready sooner.”
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. 2017 was a year with almost no worries, just the chance of frost. I was frosted a little in a few places, but an average of 42 hl for reds and whites 48. Good grapes, very clean – the main risk in what I do is setting out for a small yield, but that also means that it’s pure wine without additives.”
The wines…
It’s getting to be a big range here! Fine reds but then another step for the whites – each wine with a very distinct personality and I could find a reason to buy every single one of them…
2017 Bourgogne Rouge
One parcel in Volnay, plus a second in Puligny. Assembled before harvest. 30% new oak, about half whole cluster. 35 hl/ha. The grapes looked tender this year, so mainly remontage. Im looking for concentration though, something that you could keep. 18 ouvrees, 9 barrels…
Plenty of colour. A silky width of concentrated and silky (again!) aroma. Hmm, flavour that belies the weight of the nose – concentrated, balanced. Ooh excellent but have patience. Super impressive Bourgogne…
30% oak again, 25% wc, always a little less wc as the vines are younger – from 1984…
Deep colour. Some width of aroma, faintly floral but tighter below. Zing, direct, intense, tangy, great flavour – there’s certainly an element of masochism drinking this now, but I love it. Bravo!
Two grape purchases follow:
2017 Corton Clos du Roi
Grapes bought, 70 yo vines all wc.
A vibration of concentrated dark fruit, and the merest suggestion of reduction. Hmm, depth, concentration and a gorgeous texture that binds the two together. This will need some time to unwind but it’s already quite something in the glass.
2017 Corton-Perrières
All destemmed. A very old vines.
Deep, fruity also a little reduced. Fine volume and structure – not a wine that’s together yet but the finishing flavour is excellent. Patience!
2017 Volnay 1er Les Santenots
70 yo vines next to Clos 60 Ouvrées, all whole cluster.
Open, high-toned, needs to lose a hint of volatility, brings a note of almond. More tannin, good volume but still clearly a wine in progress. Very impressive in the finish…
Followed by two wines you don’t often see together – certainly in a cellar in Meursault!
A little tighter but a much more together nose. High toned and attractive. No wc here. Silky, direct, concentrated and fresh – great stuff. Bravo finish. Yes!
2017 Chapelle-Chambertin
First vintage…
Broad, vibrant, deep too. Floral, complex, with lovely volume to fill the mouth and a widening of flavour in the finish too. Here, a broad complexity vs the precision and intensity of the Cortons. Super…
Les blancs:
Another domaine where almost no sulfur used to this stage of the elevage:
38 hl/ha, It wasn’t apparent at the time, but given the yields I think it must nave been a little touched by the frost
Wide and vibrant. Texturally interesting, with depth of flavour. A concentrated but never heavy wine due to fine energy. Bravo…
From Puligny Les Combes and Meursault Grand Couture – 40 hl/ha.
Vibrant, concentrated aromas. A hint of gas but here’s another great bourgogne in 2017 – full but energetic – concentrated with lovely depth of flavour. Silky delicious, bravo and with a great finish too!
Some vines in Pellans here are from 1945. Overall, 50-80 vines. This is the biggest volume wine of the domaine, so it was very hard in 2016 as 2/3 was lost to frost.
A little extra colour. Hmm, clean and wide – very attractive, spiced, tighter below. A hint of gas, layered, complex, alive, great!
From the 1945 vines.
A more open nose with a little extra freshness. A little extra depth to the texture too, with an extra richness, the shape highlighted by a fine acidity – longer in the finish, bravo again…
A more vibrant, ginger-spiced nose. Energetic, but with layered complexity here. Super finishing intensity… great again!
2017 Meursault 1er Cras
Vines planted at 13k per hectare – despite being old vines – just 0.25 ha.
Hmm, more depth of spiced aroma, less width. A little gas, fresh, mineral but with fine sucrosity. This is gorgeous but a little behind the others in elevage – February is currently planned for bottling…
2017 Chablis 1er Les Lys
Last vintage, in the future replaced by organic Mont de Milieu, hand harvested.
Hmm – wide, yellow citrus. Volume, richness, a hint saline with a fine sucrosity – actually here I wouldn’t guess that it’s Chablis!
2017 Chablis Vaudesir
More weight if not volume of aroma. Hmm, a broader minerality but great complexity and energy too – deeply yellow fruited. Concentrated. Ooh that’s good but almost a pineapple fruit.
2017 Meursault 1er Bouches-Chères
An aromatic register change. High toned and more floral. A little gas, affecting the palate but relaxed, pure flavour melts over the palate – discreet but super elegant finishing.
2017 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Caillerets
Bought as grapes. Patrick also has some control over the viticulture here.
Pure, floral airy nose. Wiry, mobile, mineral but edged with delicious sucrosity. Steely mouth-watering finishing. Beautiful.
2017 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Folatières
Just one barrel bought in must.
Ooh, vibrant with the merest suggestion of a reductive vibration. Hmm, not unlike the Caillerets, but here with a little more mineral emphasis. Beautiful again.
A big and forward nose, ripe fruited but with freshness. Ooh, super silky, layered wine. Delicious, melting flavour. A vibration of finishing flavour – class…
2017 Meursault 1er Gouttes d’Or
‘The youngest of the old vines at about 50.’ It’s a cru apart, it’s about concentration and power, sometimes it’s severe
A more mineral depth and tighter above. Vibrantly fresh, a touch of tannin, concentrated but fresh. A vibrant, close to brusque wine, but the flavour melts in the finish. Ooh thats good – its not elegant but its damn good…
Made from Aloxe fruit in Charlemagne. Direct south-facing, close to the cross.
A more compact nose. Slowly releasing gelée citrus fruits. Incisive, direct, melting, becoming wider with the melting of flavour. A great width of finishing flavour too. Grand cru here for sure.