Description
”Nose of citrus and white flowers. In the mouth this wine is elegant and slightly mineral — a charmer.
— François BuissonWinemaker, Domaine Buisson-Battault
The wine
Les Charmes is one of Meursault’s most celebrated and largest Premier Cru climates — positioned on the southern slope of the village, where the soils shift from the stony limestone of Poruzots to a deeper clay-limestone that produces wines of greater generosity and body. The name has been associated with richness and opulence for centuries, and the terroir delivers on the reputation.
The Buisson-Battault parcel spans three plots across both Les Charmes Dessus and Les Charmes Dessous — 39 ares in total, with vines planted in 1964, 1967, and 2007. The oldest vines, now over 60 years old, contribute depth and concentration that the newer plantings are still developing toward. Organically farmed throughout.
The winemaking follows the same approach as the other Premier Crus: 12 months in oak barrel with 20% new oak, then six months in tank on the fine lees before bottling. No bâtonnage. The restraint in new oak is deliberate — Charmes doesn’t need the oak to add texture and weight, the terroir supplies both. What the approach preserves is the freshness and definition that keeps a richer wine from feeling heavy.
Where Poruzots is taut and mineral and Genevrières is the fullest and most structured, Charmes is the most immediately welcoming — generous and openly expressive on first pour, developing more complexity and depth with air.
Tasting notes
Deep gold with warm highlights. Stone fruit, white peach, roasted hazelnut, and a lifted floral note on the nose — more opulent and generous than Poruzots, with a warmth that reflects the deeper clay soils. The palate is lush and rounded with real richness and breadth, the 2022 vintage’s natural concentration filling the wine’s structure beautifully. François’s restraint in new oak and extended lees ageing keep the freshness and definition intact throughout. Long, warm, beautifully balanced finish. More immediately seductive than Poruzots — drink now or hold through 2033.
Service: 12–14°C. Butter-basted scallops, seared foie gras, lobster bisque, roast chicken with cream sauce, aged Comté.
2022 vintage note
2022 was a warm, generous vintage across Meursault — excellent growing conditions producing whites of natural concentration and depth. For Les Charmes, where the deeper clay soils already produce wines of richness and body, the vintage adds an extra layer of fruit weight and warmth that makes the 2022 particularly expressive on release. Built to develop over the next eight to ten years but genuinely rewarding now.
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.
