Domaine Buisson-Charles — Meursault
Michel Buisson is still active in the vineyards, but is mostly retired and has handed over the domaine to his daughter Catherine and son-in-law Patrick Essa, who are now the 4th generation to tend these gorgeous holdings in Meursault. Vines are over 100 years old in some parcels. The wines are concentrated, classic, rich, and long – and they are flat-out built to age.. The Meursault Vieilles Vignes is from vines averaging 65+ years of age. Production of the 1er Crus is miniscule – a scant few barrels of Goutte d’Or, Charmes, Bouches-Chères and Les Cras are made each year.
Scott in the cellar with Patrick Essa in Meursault
The style is full-on classic here – minimal new oak, no lees-stirring – just pure, concentrated, textbook Meursault. Buisson-Charles has been somewhat of an insider’s secret for many years, but now with all the major critics singing the domaine’s praises, the cat is out of the proverbial bag. The wines all have great richness, buffered by a lively acidity that allows them to age gracefully for decades. Website – Domaine Buisson-Charles
Harvest 2010 in Meursault with Buisson-Charles
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2010 Meursault Vieilles Vignes $58 >>
A cool, pure and unusually elegant nose of hazelnut, pear and acacia blossom gives way to rich and mouth coating flavors that are blessed with ample amounts of dry extract before culminating in a wonderfully intense and tension-filled finish. There is presently some austerity but it’s not aggressive. Lovely and this too is worth your consideration. 89/2016+
2010 Meursault, Tessons $75 >>
(from vines planted in 1964 and aged in 20% new wood). Consistent with the prior two wines, here the nose is also exceptionally fresh, cool, airy and pure with a really lovely array of floral aromas that are impressively nuanced by notes of citrus, stone and roasted nuts scents. The rich, intense and well-delineated flavors possess excellent energy on the detailed, racy and saline-infused finish. This is flat out terrific for its level and recommended. 91/2017+
2010 Meursault, Charmes 1er $94 >>
A classic Meursault nose that displays a top note of citrus merges seamlessly into rich, intense and remarkably precise medium-bodied flavors that possess real verve on the saliva-inducing, dry, balanced, clean, austere and driving finish. This is borderline painfully intense at present with the sane wonderful saline character that makes the wines of Chablis so refreshing. Note however that this is built to age and in need of it too. 93/2018+
2010 Meursault, Goutte d'Or 1er $94 >>
This is ripe enough where the yellow orchard fruit aromas flirt with being ever-so-slightly exotic in character but otherwise the nose is fresh and cool with background notes of hazelnut, pear and spice hints. There is excellent richness and volume plus solid power to the mouth coating flavors that possess plenty of dry extract, all wrapped in an explosively long and highly energetic finish. This is a seriously impressive effort that is built to age. 94/2018+
2010 Meursault, Bouches-Chères 1er $94 >>
This offers perhaps the most interesting nose in the range with its broad-based aromas of hazelnut, white peach, menthol and Jasmine tea. The flavor profile is quite fine and delicate with terrific transparency to the gorgeously intense and saliva-inducing finish that, like several wines here, displays a Chablis-like salinity. 93/2018+
2010 Chassagne-Montrachet, en Remilly 1er $90 >>
As with the Goutte d’Or, there is the barest whisper of the exotic to the very fresh, ripe, cool and airy aromas that are trimmed in a touch of wood toast before dissolving gracefully into intensely mineral- driven flavors that possess a delicious and easy-to-like finish that delivers excellent depth and length. No, this is not in the same quality range as the best of the domaine’s wines but this stylish effort is quite attractive all the same. 91/2016+
2009 Meursault Vieilles Vignes $59 >>
A ripe yet airy, cool and citrusy nose that also features aromas of pear and hazelnut gives way to rich, concentrated and velvet-textured medium-bodied flavors that possess an opulent but not heavy mouth feel, all wrapped in a vibrant, dry and impressively persistent finish. An excellent villages. 90/2014+
2009 Meursault, les Tessons $72 >>
(from vines planted in 1964 and aged in 20% new wood). This offers a small step up in aromatic complexity with notes of pear, white peach, green apple and wet stone nuances. There is fine volume and concentration to the rich, round and amply powerful flavors that are fresh and vibrant while culminating in a superbly persistent finish. This is not as opulent as the straight Meursault but there is more here. A knockout villages and this is definitely highly recommended for its level. 91/2014+
2009 Meursault, Charmes 1er $88 >>
A ripe and wonderfully pure nose of white orchard fruit, lemon peel and herbal hints merges into seductive yet quite finely detailed middle weight flavors that are shaped by a firm acid spine and the explosive and hugely long yet harmonious finish. I really like the texture here as there is a Zen-like quality to it. Highly recommended as Charmes rarely delivers this kind of finesse. 94/2015+
2009 Meursault, Bouches-Chères, 1er $88 >>
Here the nose is slightly more elegant with a pretty array of saline, citrus, floral and spiced pear aromas that are in keeping with the lightly mineral-inflected, textured and ultra-pure middle weight flavors that culminate in a linear and driving finish. This is extremely dry, indeed it is unusually dry for the vintage and while it will undoubtedly put on weight and flesh as it ages, it could at present pass for a fine Chablis. 93/2015+
