Domaine François Buffet
Les Rugiens Pommard 1er Cru Pinot Noir
Pommard, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
One barrel every year. Over 100+ year vines. Is the nose a 10.0? I think so. Mint, dark cherry, stones on stones on stones. So much fruit. A hint of bramble. More on the nose soon because I needed to sip it and wow. Stunning depth, detail and vinous architecture. So brute but also so elegant. The contradiction at the heart of great Rugiens. Nose has so many different types of ripe cherry layered it could become its own aroma spectrum wheel. The most elegant, sweetest and wildest expression of forest floor ever. Just so Burgundian. Ok, the power, depth and concentration are next level but it’s all held together by a spider silk bow. What a wine. The Rugiens late breaking tannins are here in spades and they are so ripe, so velvety and so sweet. The balance is just PERFECT. Wow this is insane. As good a Buffet Rugiens as I have ever had. Let’s see what air does but I am at a 9.8 now. And now that air has done its thing the elegance is just next level. The finish is palate staining with the most intense old vine, tiny berry fruit intensity. Unreal inner mouth aromas. Just insane. I see this getting to a 9.9. As this has aired the fruit is sweeter and more aristocratic. The nose is all stones currently. This is so silky and refined but also the tannins are so Rugiens. Nothing like it.
One barrel every year. Over 100+ year vines. Is the nose a 10.0? I think so. Mint, dark cherry, stones on stones on stones. So much fruit. A hint of bramble. More on the nose soon because I needed to sip it and wow. Stunning depth, detail and vinous architecture. So brute but also so elegant. The contradiction at the heart of great Rugiens. Nose has so many different types of ripe cherry layered it could become its own aroma spectrum wheel. The most elegant, sweetest and wildest expression of forest floor ever. Just so Burgundian. Ok, the power, depth and concentration are next level but it’s all held together by a spider silk bow. What a wine. The Rugiens late breaking tannins are here in spades and they are so ripe, so velvety and so sweet. The balance is just PERFECT. Wow this is insane. As good a Buffet Rugiens as I have ever had. Let’s see what air does but I am at a 9.8 now. And now that air has done its thing the elegance is just next level. The finish is palate staining with the most intense old vine, tiny berry fruit intensity. Unreal inner mouth aromas. Just insane. I see this getting to a 9.9. As this has aired the fruit is sweeter and more aristocratic. The nose is all stones currently. This is so silky and refined but also the tannins are so Rugiens. Nothing like it.
Jun 22nd, 2025Huge classic Rugiens nose. Super super stoney, matchstick, so stoney, primal stoniness. Candied earthy herbal perfume. Wow. Candied licorice. Impossibly complex. Iodine? Salty. Wow, so elegant and fine but muscular and has epic sweetness. But finishes Stoney with classic Rugiens pulverized rock dust. Nose is getting more and more complex. Just a stunning bottle of Rugiens. Velvety, citric and perfectly balanced. Ripe and sweet tannins. Really epic. Super pure. Big structure. Just ridiculous.
Huge classic Rugiens nose. Super super stoney, matchstick, so stoney, primal stoniness. Candied earthy herbal perfume. Wow. Candied licorice. Impossibly complex. Iodine? Salty. Wow, so elegant and fine but muscular and has epic sweetness. But finishes Stoney with classic Rugiens pulverized rock dust. Nose is getting more and more complex. Just a stunning bottle of Rugiens. Velvety, citric and perfectly balanced. Ripe and sweet tannins. Really epic. Super pure. Big structure. Just ridiculous.
Sep 19th, 2021I adore Buffet’s 17’s and this is drop dead gorgeous. Black cherry, licorice, late season red cherries, smoke, superb minerality, we got 100+ year old vines here and this is the top wine of the estate. Floral and so pure. Only been open 10 minutes. So good. Will only get better. Raspberry. Really impressive. But a firm background of intense minerality. Palate is a dream and so so elegant. This is very very well made. Juicy and clean. Concentrated and so fresh. This is like 85% closed at the moment but I’ll be back once it opens. Very solid 9.4 now.
UPDATE: 9.4 to 9.5.
Gorgeous nose. Blackberry, black cherry, so pure, so deep and so vivid. Lipstick like intensity. So so aromatic. Much more open and expansive than yesterday. Palate has painful intensity and wonderful black and red cherry fruit. Elegant and fresh with really lovely energy. 9.4 to 9.5.
I adore Buffet’s 17’s and this is drop dead gorgeous. Black cherry, licorice, late season red cherries, smoke, superb minerality, we got 100+ year old vines here and this is the top wine of the estate. Floral and so pure. Only been open 10 minutes. So good. Will only get better. Raspberry. Really impressive. But a firm background of intense minerality. Palate is a dream and so so elegant. This is very very well made. Juicy and clean. Concentrated and so fresh. This is like 85% closed at the moment but I’ll be back once it opens. Very solid 9.4 now.
UPDATE: 9.4 to 9.5.
Gorgeous nose. Blackberry, black cherry, so pure, so deep and so vivid. Lipstick like intensity. So so aromatic. Much more open and expansive than yesterday. Palate has painful intensity and wonderful black and red cherry fruit. Elegant and fresh with really lovely energy. 9.4 to 9.5.
Love this from Buffet. 100+ year old vines. Nose is super stoney, I mean super stoney, earthy, with some hints of cherry and blackberry fruit. Some feral and gamey notes but it’s holding back. You can tell it’s about to explode with aroma. Par for the course for Rugiens. Some nice spice now and pound cake aromas. Ok, brilliant sour cherry fruit and late season cherry all mixed in. Now mineral air, gorgeous crushed rocks and so much more. Dynamite! Just an insane nose. 9.6 on the nose. Palate is chewy, dense, firm, creamy and elegant with gorgeous pure black cherry and mid season cherry fruit, brilliant freshness. The nose keeps getting better and better now it is a crazy symphonic perfume. Substantial structure and yet tannins so fine. Huge concentrated fruit and explosiveness but so fine and so nimble. Again obviously young but so so promising. I’ll be back and score will be higher.
UPDATE: after 6 hours it has not budged beyond superb aromas. I think it will be better tomorrow.
Love this from Buffet. 100+ year old vines. Nose is super stoney, I mean super stoney, earthy, with some hints of cherry and blackberry fruit. Some feral and gamey notes but it’s holding back. You can tell it’s about to explode with aroma. Par for the course for Rugiens. Some nice spice now and pound cake aromas. Ok, brilliant sour cherry fruit and late season cherry all mixed in. Now mineral air, gorgeous crushed rocks and so much more. Dynamite! Just an insane nose. 9.6 on the nose. Palate is chewy, dense, firm, creamy and elegant with gorgeous pure black cherry and mid season cherry fruit, brilliant freshness. The nose keeps getting better and better now it is a crazy symphonic perfume. Substantial structure and yet tannins so fine. Huge concentrated fruit and explosiveness but so fine and so nimble. Again obviously young but so so promising. I’ll be back and score will be higher.
UPDATE: after 6 hours it has not budged beyond superb aromas. I think it will be better tomorrow.
Classic, muscular and spicy. Good fruit underlying. This is a great example of Les Rugiens
Classic, muscular and spicy. Good fruit underlying. This is a great example of Les Rugiens
1 person found it helpfulNov 3rd, 2015
