Upstream from Bordeaux along the Garonne River lie the vineyards of Buzet, just north of Armagnac and southwest of Cahors. Buzet was recognized as an Appellation in 1973, as its clay limestone soils are ideal for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Christophe tends to these vines with the utmost respect for biodiversity of the terroir and this cuvée is vinified without oak.
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Wine Description
Wine Enthusiast 89 Points – Best Buy
Vintage Notes:
2016: A year full of promise with almost ideal production conditions. A slightly wet spring was followed by a beautiful summer, with occasional rainstorms. There was sunshine and warmth, followed by some freshness at the end of the season. The 2016 Buzet offers a rich and elegant nose of red and black fruits. Fruit flavors on the palate mingle agreeably with the finesse of the tannins.
2017: Also a good year. The spring was sunny and sprinkled with some rain. The summer was a little drier than the previous one, and harvest was very pleasant. We feel the season’s slight dryness in the mouth, as the wines are warmer and have a little more substance. The 2017 offers a nose of robust fruits mixed with a smell of leather, foretelling a complex wine with great finesse. The delicate mouthfeel with its lightly expressive tannins and long finish promise a few years of keeping.
I met Christophe’s wines first. I had tasted a number of bottles that day that I wasn’t thrilled with, but when I opened his Buzet, the light went on. Super graceful. Haunting, tertiary rich red berry, coffee bean, tobacco leaf. But not oaked. No primary ready-made effects. I brought the wine to a friend’s blind Bordeaux night where we taste classified growths and grand cru classe wines. Everyone loved my ‘mystery wine.’ I was thrilled to reveal that I was pouring a Merlot / Cabernet from a farm in the Southwest – 1 hour away from Bordeaux.
Domaine du Bois de Simon
The Domaine du Bois de Simon celebrated its 90th birthday in 2019. Christophe Avi, great-grandson of the founder, joined the estate in 1992. The domain covers 33 hectares (81.5 acres) of vines and produces 35 000 bottles of red, white and rosé wines each year under two Southwest France appellations: Buzet and Brulhois.
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The Vineyard
- Size and location: 13.5 hectares (33.3 acres) planted to appellation Buzet AOP; altitude 160 meters.
- Exposure: south/south-west
- Vine age: 20 years, on average
- Soils: clay-limestone
- Cultivation methods: organic conversion of the vines in 2018
The Wine: “Harmonie”
Grapes: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: AOP Buzet
Harvest: end of September for the Merlots; October for the Cabernets
Vinification: 14 days’ maceration for both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; classic fermentation; maturing in stainless steel tanks for 17 months; bottled in March.
Technical notes:
- Total acidity: 3.1g/l H2So4
- ph: 3.62
- ABV: 12.5%
- Residual sugar: 0
- Free sulfur dioxide: 21mg/l
