Les notes de Robert Parker (David Schildknecht) pour le millésime 2006
Wine Advocate N° 180
The estate of Michel Buisson – whose son-in-law Patrick Essa now takes the lead – crafts white Burgundies for the Riesling or Chenin-lover, offering clarity, refreshment, and minerality yet not stinting on richness or structure, and wines whose track record in the cellar is among the best of any Chardonnay-based wines in the world. Slow, vertical pressing, unhurried fermentation, largely non-new barrels passive lees contact (i.e. no stirring), and late (unfined, and usually lightly-filtered) bottling figure in the Buisson regimen. Although production is very small, some additional acreage will come on line (along with a completely renovated cellar) beginning in 2008. Predictably – and even though picking did not commence until September 22 – the 2006s here did not sacrifice clarity, refreshment, or mineral dimensions to the vintage’s ripeness or botrytis, and arrived at 13-13.25% alcohol. A portion of village Meursault tinged by rot and at 14% potential alcohol was sold off
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | 87 | Drink: 2008 - 2009 | $18 (18) |
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Vinified in tank, the Buisson-Charles 2006 Bourgogne Aligote diplays pear distillate, lemon zest and mint on the nose; a surprising degree of creaminess in the mouth; and a
clear, juicy finish. Simple but delicious, this will be more than serviceable through 2009. |
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | (90-91) | Drink: 2008 - 2015 | $70 (70) |
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The old vines that inform Buisson-Charles’ 2006 Meursault Les Tessons (of which there are but five barrels, one new) behave very much like the classic Wente selection of
Northern California, possessing a lot of tiny, “shot” berries (or “hens and chicks”), and with certain vines yielding distinctly Muscat-like fruit. The result is a consistently concentrated
and often rather exotic wine. (Tesson was long treated as a cru.) Tangerine, orange, and brown spice aromas lead the way to a luscious, juicy, palate with striking clarity and length,
though the corresponding Meursault Vieilles Vignes is in fact more complex, at least in its youth. This will probably be at its best at 5-7 years of age. |
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | 91 | Drink: 2018 | $45 (45) |
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Orange and lemon zest, brown spices, honeysuckle, and iris mark the nose of Essa’s 2006 Meursault Vieilles Vignes, assembled from two complimentary sites. There is a pithy,
piquant intensity on the palate here (contributed by a parcel bordering Puligny) with faint bitterness nicely woven into a cream-texture and persistently juicy, bright lemon and peach. This
is rich, yet animated Meursault, possessing palpable density, but also with lift. In keeping with an extended track record at this address, I have no compunction recommending that one
cellar this for up to a decade. |
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | (92-93) | Drink: 2008 - 2023 | $79 (79) |
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There are four barrels’ worth (one new) of Buisson-Charles 2006 Meursault Les Boucheres (although, thanks to contracts, that quantity will soon double). White peach,
toasted grain and almond usher in a palate of formidable density and overall concentration, subtle creaminess, yet also elegance, dynamic, and refinement. There is a Chablis-like meat broth
aspect here, and a long, piquantly nutty, brightly citric finish. I would not hesitate to hold this for 12-15 years. |
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | (92-93) | Drink: N/A | $79 (79) |
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Essa’s 2006 Meursault Cras represents four barrels (one of them new this year) that in earlier vintages had been sold to a negociant but have thankfully been repatriated.
This south-facing site near the communal boundaries with Monthelie and Volnay features nearly 50 year old vines planted in Corton-Charlemagne-like white chalk soil. Pineapple and coconut,
peppermint, cinnamon, flowers, cherry and apricot distillate, and quince in the nose lead the way to an oily-textured, quite viscous palate, with vanilla and chalk inflections to its almost
exotically ripe fruit. Stylistically, this is something of an alter ego to the Gouttes d’Or. It lacks quite the penetration of its premier cru stable mates here today, but what richness of
fruit and texture! |
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | (93-94) | Drink: 2008 - 2023 | $79 (79) |
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A mere three barrels of Buisson-Charles 2006 Meursault Goutte d’Or insures that few wine lovers will have a chance to experience it, but this bottling – from the center of
that small cru, with Jobard, Lafon, and Leroy as neighbors – is one of the unsung, consistent classics of white Burgundy. In 2007, the addition of some contract fruit will increase the
volume. Citrus and stones always characterize the best of Gouttes d’Or. In this instance, yellow plum, lemon, iris, licorice, vanilla, and chalk dust inform a penetrating, vibrant aroma and
palate, with a silken smoothness of texture and striking clarity. Incidentally, it took eleven months for this to finish its malolactic conversion. This should keep well for 15 or more
years. (The 1986 and 1979 are both ravishing today.) |
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Wine Advocate # 180 Dec 2008 |
David Schildknecht | (93-94) | Drink: N/A | $79 (79) |
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The Buisson-Charles 2006 Meursault Charmes of which there is scarcely more than of the Les Bouchere, from 45 year old vines in a parcel adjacent to Genevrieres smells of
lemon, orange, and white peach. Pithy in its toasted nut and chalk and stone character, this finishes with formidable density and uncommon clarity, refinement and vibrancy, dominated by
lemon, peach and chalk. Its outstanding performance should be judged in light of its having – like the other Buisson-Charles 2006s – slightly reduced when I tasted it just before bottling,
a condition Essa chooses to promote, in order to guard freshness and longevity. This should mature fascinatingly for 15 or more years. |
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