Description
The Wine
Aligoté has a reputation problem it doesn’t entirely deserve. At its worst it is thin, sharp, and forgettable — which is how most Aligoté is made and why the grape rarely gets serious attention. At its best, from old vines in a good site handled with genuine care, it is one of Burgundy’s most distinctive and food-friendly whites.
This is the best version. François Buisson sources his Aligoté from two Meursault lieu-dits — Magny and Sous le Chemin — where vines ranging from 40 to 80 years old grow in the same organically farmed clay-limestone soils that produce the domaine’s celebrated Chardonnay. The wine is aged one year in neutral barrels, which adds texture and weight without the vanilla or toast character of new oak.
The result is an Aligoté that tastes like somewhere specific. White flowers, citrus, a mineral tension and length that is not commonly found in this appellation. François’s own description is accurate: fruity, tense without being acidic, genuinely gourmet.
Vineyard & Vintage Details
Producer: Domaine Buisson-Battault
Appellation: Bourgogne Aligoté AOC
Grape: 100% Aligoté
Lieu-dits: Magny & Sous le Chemin, Meursault
Vine age: 40–80 years
Farming: Organic
Élevage: 12 months in neutral barrels
Vintage: 2020
Winemaker’s Note
François Buisson:
“Fruity wine with notes of white flowers. Tense without being acidic, it is a gourmet wine.”
Tasting Notes
White flowers, lemon zest, green apple, a hint of almond and chalk. Precise and lively on the palate — the neutral barrel ageing adds texture without weight. Long, mineral finish with real freshness. More structure and length than most Aligoté. Drink now through 2026.
Service: 10–12°C. Oysters, steamed mussels, goat cheese, charcuterie, light fish dishes. A natural aperitif.
2020 Vintage Note
2020 was a warm and generous vintage across Burgundy — rich, ripe fruit with naturally low acidity. For Aligoté, a grape that relies on acidity for its character, a warm vintage requires careful attention in the cellar. The one-year neutral barrel ageing here adds the texture and weight that preserves the wine’s balance in a riper year. Drink now — this is not a wine to hold.
About Domain Buisson-Battault
A true insider’s address in Meursault — François Buisson’s organically farmed, five-generation domaine produces some of the village’s most elegant and pure expressions of Chardonnay, balancing classic richness with vibrant acidity and a signature mineral drive.
François Buisson represents the fifth generation of a family that has farmed these vineyards since at least the early 20th century. He joined his father André in 1985, took over the domaine in 1991, and in 2005 moved the estate into the beautifully restored former home of his maternal grandparents — a building with its own remarkable history, having housed a renowned mustard factory from 1870 to 1939. Today, the domaine spans 8.5 hectares of organically farmed vines spread across 14 different appellations, including coveted Premier Cru parcels in Poruzots, Charmes, and Gouttes d’Or.
What sets François apart is his uncompromising pursuit of balance. He has little interest in the heavy, buttery Meursault of the old school, but equally distrusts wines that are lean and over-extracted for freshness. Instead, his wines live in the most rewarding middle ground: pure, mineral, and chiseled, yet with enough ripe stone fruit and creamy texture to satisfy anyone who loves white Burgundy. His winemaking reinforces this philosophy — 12 months in oak barrels (only 20% new) followed by at least six months in tank on the fine lees, with no bâtonnage. The result is wines that feel simultaneously vibrant and rich, with the kind of precision that comes only from decades of working the same land. For the wine lover looking for a serious, age-worthy Meursault that rewards patience as much as it rewards opening tonight, Buisson-Battault is an essential discovery.
