Domaine Buisson Charles
Volnay 1er cru Santenots 2020
Reviews
The Wine Advocate 93
The 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots wafts from the glass with aromas of cherries, sweet berries and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and lively palate with a rich core of sweet fruit that largely conceals its powdery structuring tannins. Gourmand and enveloping, it's a seamless, fleshy Santenots that will reward but not demand a bit of patience.
The inimitable Patrick Essa, long a vocal and sometimes controversial advocate for later harvesting in Meursault, is handing the reins to his son Louis at this nine-hectare domaine, whose holdings are complemented by some négociant activity. The reds are gourmand, seamless and concentrated, but it's the whites that are the estate's calling card: here, the order of the day is harvesting late, long and gentle pressing whole bunches, brief settling, and vinification and élevage in wood, followed by several months in tank before bottling. Essa is opposed to "foulage" (the crushing of grapes before pressing, which liberates more solids and dry extract) and doesn't care for reduction, seeking a floral, pure-fruited expression of Chardonnay, stances that are just as influential as his views on harvest dates in determining the profile of the wines. Where these Burgundies really stand out for me, however, is for their unusual mid-palate plenitude and alliance of elevated maturity with low pHs. Whether one takes sides or whether one appreciates a variety of styles and points of view, it's clear that this is an address well worth following.
