Whilst Domaine Buisson-Charles has only been existence since 2000, the Buisson family have been cultivating vines in Meursault for four generations. The estate is today run by Michel Buisson and his daughter Catherine, ably helped by her husband Patrick. Michel´s father started to buy plots in prime sites in and around the village and Michel has followed this tradition, adding more parcels over the past 30 years.

A visit to Domaine Buisson Charles takes time. Michel´s daughter and son-in-law are a charming and open couple with some interesting ideas which merit taking the time to listen to. Catherine worked as a marketing assistant in the wine trade for 18 years until she joined her father in 2003. Her husband Patrick is a physical education teacher in Gevrey Chambertin, whose non-vinous background obviously helps to bring a different perspective to the workings of the domaine.

Their 5½ha of vines are located primarily in Meursault and are found in some of the most prestigious appellations (Charmes, Goutte d´Or…). They also produce a small amount of red wine from Volnay and Pommard. The work in the vineyards is not influenced by any particular school, nor is anything prohibited; however every treatment is reasoned. Weedkillers are avoided, a cover of vegetation being left during the Winter which is ploughed back in the Spring. Fertilisation is dictated by the results of regular soil analysis. Contact treatments (copper, sulphur…) are preferred over systemic chemicals. The vines are pruned relatively long (8 buds per arm). During debudding they then remove every other bud to ensure that the bunches are evenly spaced, keeping only those buds on the upper side of the arm. Leaf-plucking takes place only if the climatic conditions of the harvest call for it – the ripening effect of the sun is considered undesirable - and green-harvesting is only carried out if absolutely necessary, for example in Pommard, where the vines are more vigorous.

At harvest time the reds (with the exception of the Pommard) are picked before the whites. The grapes are sorted initially in the vines and then on a selection table in the cellar. The whites are pressed very gently – up to 1.4 bars with a pressing cycle of 3½ hours. After that, every effort is made during the winemaking process to preserve the purity of the wines. An example of this can be seen in the treatment of the barrels, which, when they arrive, are washed first with hot water and then a chain is used to remove the upper crust, to avoid passing on a marked toasty character to the wines, the role of the barrel being to promote micro-oxydation rather than to impart flavour.

The white wine fermentation process can be something of a messy affair. The juice is put directly into barrel where a significant proportion of the lees are reincorporated and the barrels filled almost to the top (as was done in olden times). As the fermentation gets under way the must overflows and the gross lees are naturally ejected from barrel, leaving only the finer lees in suspension (a very buttery, nutty style of Meursault is not what they are looking for). During the alcoholic fermentation the lees are stirred, but only very gently to avoid “tiring” the wine. Prior to bottling, neither the whites nor the reds are fined as this is believed to traumatise the wine. They are currently earth-filtered, but this measure is also under review.

In 2007 a négociant business was set up to allow them to buy back the share of wine of the owners of the parcels in Bouches-Chères and Goutte d´Or (the land being rented on a share-cropping basis). 2008 will see the completion of a new winemaking cellar. The extra space will allow them to vinify and age a further 25 pièces of wine, which is currently sold off as must for lack of space in the cellar.

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Vineyard Holdings

Commune	level*	lieu dit /Climat		wines made	Area (ha)	Vine age	Status*
Meursault	V	Pellan	]
	V	Vireuils	]
	V	Marcausses	]	W	2.00	55	O
	V	Millerands	]
	V	Meix Chavaux	]
	V	Tessons			0.35	40	O
	PC	Charmes		W	0.25	37	SC
	PC	Cras		W	0.25	48	O
	PC	Bouchères		W	0.30	45	SC
	PC	Goutte d'Or		W	0.30	40	SC
Volnay	PC	Santenots		R	0.35	45	O
Pommard	V	En Chiveau		R	0.25	25	O
	R	Magny, Coutures		R	0.75	45	O
	R	Sous le Chemin		W	0.50	40	O
		Total Ha			5.30

Key

R/W= Red or White wines made in this lieu dit / climat
R	= Regional appellation	O	= Owner
V	= Village	SC	= Share cropper
PC	= Premier Cru	TF	= Tenant farmer
GC	= Grand Cru