Description
François Buisson’s Les Charmes is drawn from one of Meursault’s most celebrated premier cru vineyards — large and well-positioned on the southern slopes of the village, where calcareous soils of varying depth produce Chardonnay of both richness and refinement. The fruit comes from three plots spanning both Les Charmes Dessus and Dessous, where the deeper clay soils produce a wine of generosity and weight. True to the climat’s reputation, this is the more generous, voluptuous expression in the Buisson-Battault lineup: honeyed and nutty, with floral overtones and a rounded, warming texture. François’s characteristic restraint — low yields managed through careful bud removal rather than green harvest, and minimal oak influence — keeps the wine from ever feeling heavy. The 2022 vintage’s freshness is very much present here, lending lift and definition to a wine that nonetheless delivers all the lush, almost seductive opulence that Charmes has always promised.
Les Charmes is one of Meursault’s most celebrated Premier Cru vineyards, and is the most expressive and full-bodied wine in the Buisson-Battault lineup.
On the nose, citrus, white flowers, ripe stone fruit, and hazelnut with acidity and mineral freshness on the palate. Aged one year in French oak (just 10% new) and then six months on fine lees in tank before bottling, this is a wine that is welcoming on release yet built to reward patience over a decade or more. A benchmark expression of Premier Cru Meursault.
Grape variety: Chardonnay
Surface area: 0 ha 39 ares
Lieu-dit: Les Charmes Dessus and Dessous (Meursault)
Soil: Clay-limestone
Age of the vines: 1964 – 1967 – 2007
Harvests: The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted if required.
Aging: The wine is aged on its lees for 12 months in oak barrels (20% new oak) then 6 months in vats.
Tasting notes: The nose offers citrus and white flowers. The palate is elegant, fleshy and slightly mineral.
Drink: 1 to 10 years or more…
Tasting Notes
Deep gold with warm highlights. The most generous and immediately seductive of the Buisson-Battault premiers crus, Charmes opens with honeyed stone fruit, roasted hazelnuts, crème brûlée, and a lifted floral note. The palate is lush and rounded, with a richness that coats the mouth — yet François Buisson’s restrained oak use and extended lees aging ensure freshness and definition remain. A long, warming, beautifully balanced finish.
Food Pairing
Charmes has the body and richness to stand alongside butter-heavy preparations and indulgent starters. It is exceptional with seared foie gras, a rich lobster bisque, or butter-basted scallops. For the surf-and-turf enthusiast, this is the wine to pour alongside a half lobster served with a prime cut — the wine’s weight and nutty opulence bridge the two beautifully.
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.
