Description
The Wine
Domaine Buisson-Battault is known almost entirely for white wine — the Meursault Vieilles Vignes, the Premier Crus, the Aligoté. The Pommard is the wine that surprises people. Most don’t know they make one.
François Buisson’s maternal family is from Pommard. The fruit for Les Combes comes from a lieu-dit that runs along the upper edge of the village appellation, where the slope begins to steepen. The lieu-dit itself straddles the Premier Cru boundary — the upper portion is classified Premier Cru, the lower portion village. This bottling comes from the upper village section, separated from the classified Premier Cru land by a single vineyard road.
The vines range from 10 to 49 years old. Organically farmed. The wine is aged 12 months in barrel (20% new oak) then six months in tank before bottling. The result is a Pommard that reflects the cooler, more mineral character of this elevated site — less of the weight and density that Pommard’s lower valley-floor vineyards typically produce, more precision and freshness.
Vineyard & Vintage Details
Producer: Domaine Buisson-Battault
Appellation: Pommard AOC
Lieu-dit: Les Combes
Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
Vine age: 10–49 years
Farming: Organic
Vinification: Traditional
Élevage: 12 months in barrel (20% new oak) · 6 months in tank
Vintage: 2021
Tasting Notes
Cherry, cassis, a hint of violet and fresh earth. The palate is precise and focused — the upper slope site and the vintage’s natural freshness give this wine more lift and mineral drive than a typical Pommard. Silky tannins, medium body, clean finish. Drink now through 2030.
Service: 16°C. Duck breast, lamb, mushroom dishes, aged soft cheeses.
2021 Vintage Note
2021 was one of Burgundy’s most challenging growing seasons in recent memory — severe spring frosts dramatically reduced yields across the Côte de Beaune, making 2021 a tiny and heterogeneous vintage. For the wines that came through, the reduced crop load concentrated fruit and the cool, fresh growing conditions produced Pinot Noir of real aromatic precision. For an elevated lieu-dit like Les Combes — a cooler site by nature — the vintage suits the character of the vineyard well. These are wines to drink over the next three to five years rather than cellar for the long term.
Domaine Buisson-Battault
François Buisson is the fifth generation of a family farming in Meursault since at least the early 20th century. 8.5 hectares, organically farmed across 14 appellations. On the lists of Michelin-starred restaurants throughout California.
