Served blind. As we taste Patrick muses – it’s not a wine for an aperitif, it deserves to be enjoyed with food. Golden colour. There is baked bread – raisin bread – and a faintly smoky aroma. Soft with a very pretty texture and a brulée sweet bread flavour in the mid-palate. Not unbelievably long but apparently still quite young, virile and melting across the palate – it is a beautiful glass – bravo! (For the record I guessed something ‘mid-1980s’!)
Buisson-Charles
2008 Buisson-Charles Bourgogne Aligote
18 months of elevage! Patrick thinks this more concentrated than the 2009. Ex-domaine this was only €6 – what a shame it is (long-time) sold-out. This is a hint creamy smelling and very complex! There is minerality and nervosité here, backed by lovely flavour, extension into the mid-palate and finally just the right amount of richness to lift this from compelling to covetable! An aligoté that is worth a special search – shame they are sold out at the domaine.
2008 Buisson-Charles Bourgogne Rouge
This sells ex-domaine for €7.50 – the higher cost versus the aligoté is only the cost of the oak. Very good colour. The aromas are more understated than those of the aligoté, but deliver a nice cassis note. Tannic, but velvet tannin. Plenty of acidity pushes the flavours nicely long. A considerable bargain.
2008 Buisson-Charles Pommard
Patrick was very happy with his 08 Pommard, it was a lot of work through the growing season but it avoided hail and in the end he used 20% whole clusters. This has depth and a little richness to the aromas. Fine structure and concentration – there is lots of flavour but delivered with balance and a little minerality. Also sold out – what a shame (for me).
2008 Buisson-Charles Volnay Santenots
No hail here but only 20 hl/ha but vinified ‘without compromise’ with 100% of the stems. The aromas have more complexity than the Pommard, if less richness. Plenty of fine tannin. The flavour insinuates itself and becomes very long finishing. There is no extraneous padding here but no hard edges either. This is a buy.