Henri & Gilles Buisson Beaune Rouge 2021

The Beaune Rouge is a roughly equal blend of the two sites in the Cote de Beaune sub-region, located north of Pommard and south of Savigny, just to the west of the town of Beaune. Longbois is a high elevation site and full of limestone, and Prevoles is on the flatter valley floor, with a prevalence of alluvial clay. Average vine age is 30 years.

The two plots are vinified separately. Fermentation takes place only in steel tank, with following 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.

“In tank. A moderate purple colour, but with a much fresher floral bouquet, just a little firm at the finish, with a slight green note, but the fruit comes back behind and quite persistent in a fine boned way. Drink from 2024-2027.” – 88-90 Points, Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy)