Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson
— Portfolio —
BOURGOGNE BLANC 2022
Bottle Shot
“A very serious Bourgogne blanc. At first the nose is smoky, but it rapidly turns in a nutty direction. Impressive depth on the well-rounded, medium-bodied palate. Not super-complex, but beautifully balanced and long. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – 91pts – Stuart Pigott – James Suckling
40% of fruit is sourced from their Saint-Romain vineyards, 10% from a Cotes de Beaune village site, and the remaining 50% from the organic Macon producer Guillot-Broux. The aim to balance the limestone-driven acidity of Saint-Romain with by roundness and warmth of Macon fruit. Labelled as Maison rather than Domaine Buisson, as it is not wholly estate fruit.
Parcels were made separately than blended pre-bottling. 50% is matured in old oak and 50% in stainless steel.
BOURGOGNE ROUGE 2021
Bottle Shot
Unlike previous vintages (which didn’t make it to Australia) this is a true estate-wine with fruit sourced from the higher sections around their Saint-Romain vineyards, with a nod towards younger vines.
It is about structure as much as juiciness, and was all aged in 228 litre barrels. A super serious Bourgogne Rouge, and just a few thousand bottles made.
BOURGOGNE ROUGE 2022
Bottle Shot
“A remarkably well-structured Bourgogne with a terrific mountain freshness. Lovely floral nose with bright red cherry fruit. Hops, skips and jumps over the palate. Such a vibrant finish, but also polished. From vineyards at 400-plus meters above sea level. From biodynamically grown grapes. 60% wholecluster fermentation. Matured in small oak barrels. Drink or hold.” – 92 points – Stuart Pigott JS
SAINT-ROMAIN BLANC EN POILLANGE 2022
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“A very elegant and suave wine for this appellation. Super interplay of restrained creaminess with citrusy character and flinty freshness on the sleek, medium-bodied palate, and the latter characteristics expand as the wine aerates. Very long, refined finish with a wonderful minerality. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – 95 Points – Stuart Pigott JS
SAINT-ROMAIN BLANC SOUS LA VELLE 2022
Bottle Shot
“Very cool and and focused, this mouthwatering Saint Romain has an extreme chalky minerality. Only medium-bodied, but really concentrated. Super-fresh and focused finish with so much fresh herb
complexity (think sage and thyme). Very long and polished finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – 95 Points – Stuart Pigott JS
SAINT-ROMAIN BLANC SOUS LA VELLE 2023
Bottle Shot
“Mid lemon yellow. Recently sulphured which has slightly blocked the nose for the moment. More backward but perhaps with greater depth of fruit, fresh citrus on top of orchard fruit. Excellent length once again. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.” – 90-91 pts – Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris
“The 2023 Saint-Romain Sous Le Velle has a well-defined nose with lemon, Granny Smith and wet pavement scents that gain intensity in the glass, though it’s never powerfully aromatic. The palate is lively on the entry with Clementine and peach skin notes. Certainly spicier than the Perrières, this has quite a complex finish with fine length. This is a strong follow-up to the excellent 2022.” – 91-93 pts – Neal Martin – Vinous
CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET 1ER CRU LA MALTROIE 2021
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The Buissons do a fruit exchange with an organic grower in Chassagne to source La Maltroie, one of the large Chassagne premier crus, located next to Les Champs Gains, with a reputation for shy and slow-evolving wines. They were lucky to get any Chassagne in 2021…
This is richer than the En Remilly bottling, described by Franck as very “easy-going”. Labelled as Maison rather than Domaine.
CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET 1ER CRU LA MALTROIE 2022
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Beaune Rouge is a roughly equal blend of the two sites – one high elevation (Longbois) and one more on the valley floor (Prevoles). Average vine age is 30 years.
The two plots are vinified separately. Fermentation takes place only in steel tank, with maturation mostly in steel with 20% matured in various oak vessels for no more than 12 months.
This is Frank’s favourite wine of the vintage, perhaps as it shows the starkest difference between 2020 and 2021. The heat and weight of 2020 is left in the rear-view mirror – the 2021 version is a lighter-coloured, elegant wine, the most ‘old-school’ of all the 2021 reds. It’s all about florals and perfume.
SAINT ROMAIN ROUGE SOUS ROCHE 2021
Bottle Shot
Sous Roche is the foundation red wine climate of Domaine Buisson, the partner to the Sous Velle white. It’s a 60 year-old, 3ha plot full of limestone and ironstone that faces Saint-Romain village, on the opposite slope to Sous Velle. Facing west, it captures warm afternoon sun but it’s high elevation (average 360m) lends it a high-altitude freshness. Most of the site was massale selection plantings by Henri Buisson in the 1960s.
Approx 70% whole bunches were used in the fermentation, which is all in steel, before 12 months maturation in various oak vessels..
This saw slightly more whole bunch than Buisson’s other reds, as it usually does, approaching 40%. It was aged in various oak vessels.
SAINT ROMAIN ROUGE SOUS ROCHE 2022
Bottle Shot
“Deep, complex nose of forest berries with rooty and floral nuances. Impressive concentration and structure for this appellation, the fine tannins giving this a firm backbone. I love the crispness in the long,
minerally finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. 60% whole-cluster fermentation. Matured in small oak barrels for 12 months. Drink or hold.” – 92 points – Stuart Pigott JS
POMMARD LES PETITS NOIZONS 2021
Bottle Shot
Les Petits Noizons can be found overlooking the Pommard premier crus of Les Charmots and La Platire. It’s a south-facing vineyard in the middle of the main hill sitting at approx 310m asl.
It is renowned as a site that produces a softer, more youthfully approachable Pommard. The name stems from the ancient local name for walnuts ‘les Nosroyes’. Described by Franck as a very “peaceful” Pommard, confident in itself “with nothing to prove…”
“Ample, tasty, punctuated with spicy notes, this village offers great depth. If Pommard is an appellation renowned for its wines for aging, “Les Petits Noizons” will also delight the palate from an early age.” – Notes from Franck Buisson
CORTON GRAND CRU LE ROGNET-ET-CORTON 2021
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Domaine Buisson are the latest producer to put the correct, full name on the label – everyone else just calls it Le Rognet!
Le Rognet-et-Corton can be found on the south east corner of the Corton hill, facing east. It is a lieu-dit within the Corton Grand Cru, and part of the Ladoix-Serrigny commune. Back in the 1930s it was one of the first vineyards on the Ladoix side of the hill to attain Grand Cru status. It remains one of the preeminent Pinot Noir sites, with free-draining, poor limestone soil and an altitude of 270m. The Buisson vines are 70-odd years old.
Notes from Franck Buisson – “When young, Rognet-et-Corton exudes notes of spicy fruits, blackcurrant and kirsch. As it ages, it develops aromas of undergrowth, truffles and leather. It is what we expect from the excellence of a Grand Cru red from Burgundy: the incarnation of seductive Pinot noir. This great charmer likes to be desired and is ideally enjoyed between 4 and 15 years.”
“A pale crimson colour. The nose is very elegant, after a fraction of reduction blows up. Light, but a darker raspberry note. A few whole bunches start to show. Noticeably stronger fruit behind with the curious character of having a few black notes – alongside red cherry – without being especially ripe. Just avoids volatile, good length. Drink from 2026-2032.” – 92-94 Points, Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy)
CORTON GRAND CRU LE ROGNET-ET-CORTON 2022
Bottle Shot
“This seriously structured, beautifully balanced Corton has striking aromas of wild herbs, bergamot, fresh red plums and a touch of baking spices, the red berry fruit currently in the background. Great concentration on the medium-bodied palate, and the radical minerality we expect from this site, but the long finish is very elegant. From biodynamically grown grapes. 60% whole-cluster fermentation. Matured in small oak barrels for 12 months. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.” – 96 points – Stuart Pigott JS
BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE PIERRE PERCEE 2022
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“This stunning chardonnay is a mountain stream in the glass” Totally stony personality. Mouthwatering on the extremely elegant, medium-bodied palate. Stunning vitality and purity right through the very long,
pristine finish. And when it aerates a little in the glass, it develops beautiful fresh nut aromas and a fascinating savory complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – 95 Points – Stuart Pigott
JS
SAINT ROMAIN BLANC SOUS LE CHATEAU 2022
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“A truly astonishing and really dramatic Saint Romain. Deep aromas of Amalfi lemons, toasted nuts and smoke. Juicy and minerally with a fabulous concentration and silkiness of texture. Unbelievable length and complexity for a village wine. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – 97 Points – Stuart Pigott
SAINT ROMAIN BLANC SOUS LE CHATEAU 2023
Bottle Shot
“Mid lemon yellow, showing a very reductive nose with a touch of liquorice. The reduction is less evident on the palate. A lovely intensity throughout, a light creaminess, obviously this will be cleaned up later on but I suspect this is going to be brilliant. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted Oct 2024.” – 90-93 pts – Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris
“The 2023 Saint-Romain Sous Le Château has a slightly richer bouquet with more yellow fruit and brioche notes than other cuvées. Hints of custard creams and almond shavings appear with aeration. The palate is well balanced, tensile and fresh with a fine bead of acidity delivering ample salinity on the finish that lingers on the aftertaste. This is superb and seductive—and only a Village Cru!” – 91-93 pts – Neal Martin – Vinous
SAINT ROMAIN BLANC PERRIERE 2022
Bottle Shot
“This stunning chardonnay is a mountain stream in the glass” Totally stony personality. Mouthwatering on the extremely elegant, medium-bodied palate. Stunning vitality and purity right through the very long, pristine finish. And when it aerates a little in the glass, it develops beautiful fresh nut aromas and a fascinating savory complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – 95 Points – Stuart Pigott
JS
SAINT ROMAIN BLANC PERRIERE 2023
Bottle Shot
“Racked to tank, not yet sulphured. A stonier aspect to the bouquet. This has a thrilling tension to it, an evidently adequate volume of fruit, ripe grapefruit, and a suave long finish, never forgetting the stones. Drink from 2027-2030. Tasted Oct 2024.” – 90-91 pts – Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris
“The 2023 Saint-Romain Perrière comes from more stony, northern soils, taken from a concrete tank. This had just been sulfited the previous week, which closed down the aromatics. The palate is more indicative with a citrus-fresh opening, orange rind and a dab of stem ginger. It’s more lively on the finish. Give this a couple of years once in bottle.” – 88-91 pts – Neal Martin – Vinous
GEVREY CHAMBERTIN 2023
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CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET LES ENCEGNIERES 2022
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“Pale lemon, more oak evident on the nose. Some coconut and a little honey. Medium weight, needs to settle down but the basic shape of the wine is sound, with good white fruit and adequate acidity. Tasted Oct 2023.” – 89-91 pts – Inside Burgundy – Jasper Morris
