Description
”An elegant and full-bodied wine with delicate brioche and saline notes on the end palate.
— François BuissonWinemaker, Domaine Buisson-Battault
The wine
Vieilles Vignes is a term with no legal definition in Burgundy — producers use it at their own discretion. Here it means something specific: Les Malpoiriers and Les Pellans, two lieux-dits in Meursault where vines planted in 1930 and 1932 are still producing. Over 90 years old at the time of the 2022 harvest. These are among the oldest vines in François Buisson’s holdings and among the oldest Chardonnay vines in Meursault still in production.
Old vines produce less fruit than younger vines — the natural yield restriction concentrates what remains. The clay-limestone soils of Les Malpoiriers and Les Pellans give the wine its fundamental character: stone fruit, mineral tension, and the weight and texture that comes only from vines with very deep roots. François describes this as the most “classic” Meursault in his range — the wine that most directly expresses what the village does when the farming is right and the vines are old enough to say something specific.
12 months in French oak barrels with 20% new oak, then six months on the fine lees in tank before bottling. No bâtonnage throughout. The approach is the same as the Premier Crus — the only difference is the appellation level and the price.
Tasting notes
Pale gold. Ripe stone fruit — white peach, apricot — alongside white flowers, hazelnut, and a mineral undertow from the clay-limestone soils. The palate has the depth and concentration that old vines produce naturally — more weight and texture than a younger-vine Meursault at the same price, with a freshness and precision that keeps everything balanced. Long, mineral finish with real persistence. Approachable now and developing beautifully over the next five to eight years. Drink now through 2031.
Service: 12–14°C. Roast chicken with cream sauce, white fish, scallops, aged Comté, soft cheeses.
2022 vintage note
2022 was a warm, generous vintage across Meursault — excellent growing conditions producing whites of natural concentration and depth. For 90-year-old vines with very deep roots, the vintage’s warmth is absorbed and expressed rather than overwhelmed — the old vines maintain their natural balance even in riper years. More immediately expressive than a cooler vintage but built to develop well over a decade.
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.
