Description
Leading winemaker Nicholas Potel has over delivered here in his quest to make quality bourgogne at an affordable price! As ‘natural’ as wine can be, 100% organic and biodynamic from 70+ year old vines! 13.5% Alc without any additions. This delightful medium weight rouge cascades red and blue fruit, exotic spice with plenty more complexity and depth for its level. Impressive offering … drinking beautifully now but will cellar for up to 5 years plus if you can resist.
Domaine de Bellene is the latest instalment in the career of the talented and enterprising Nicolas Potel. Having grown and then sold his original micro-negociant (Maison Nicolas Potel) business in 2003, Potel has gradually been purchasing vineyard holdings to create what is now Domaine de Bellene. At the heart of the domaine are some of the great (and often under-appreciated) vineyards of Beaune, where the domaine boasts holdings in Greve 1er, Clos du Roi 1er, Pertuisots 1er, Teurons 1er and Perrieres 1er. In addition the now legendary Potel skill of knowing where to find great vineyard sites has extended the range to special plots in Savigny, Santenay, St Romain, Nuits St Georges (Villages and Chaignots) and Vosne Romanee (Quartiers and Suchots). All the sites are farmed organically at the least and where possible biodynamic principles are being employed. The vineyards are always based around old vines with an average minimum age of 70+ years and in the case of Greve 104 years old vines cover his small holding.
In the cellar, the wines are made without additions ie no enzymes, acidification, sugar other than nature which produces these fine pinot noir grapes. Letting the vineyard and the season express itself without excessive intervention from the hand of man is central to making wine here. The wines themselves offer an insight into the philosophical leanings of Potel; favouring purity and transparency over extraction, playing on emphasising terroir rather than simple fruit expression. The original penchant for the use of 100% stems has been tempered and now none are used for the lesser appellations, 50% for the mid-range cuvees and 100% for the top wines. Even then the thicker part of the stems is removed.
As part of this ambitious project he has also set about restoring a magnificent 16th century cellar close to the centre of Beaune using eco-principals (reclaimed timber, rain water catchment, hemp insulation etc) and all the wines have been made here since inception.
“These are stylish wines, very pure and caressing on the palate.” Neal Martin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Nicolas Potel no longer makes the wines that bear his name, he makes them at Domaine de Bellene and they’re superb.” Jonathan Ray, The Daily Telegraph, UK
About the 2019 vintage in Burgundy … “Another great vintage ending in ‘9’ that was hot and very dry yet produced fresh, elegant and concentrated wines. Moreover, it produced some genuinely superb wines.’ Burghound, January 2021. “In short, 2019 is a superb vintage, and these are wines that all Burgundy lovers are going to want to secure for their cellars.” William Kelley, The Wine Advoctate, January 2021.
Another super fine rendition of this fine Bourgogne Rouge to come out of the domaine. Fruit hailed predominantly from Pommard.. organically grown, average vine age 68 years..serious poise and finesse in the 2019 release has given the wine an extra edge…This is a wine that always punches way above its appellation status. 2019 takes it up a notch again in terms of poise, finesse and brims with layers of dark and red berry fruit, forest floor with impeccable balance. What an entry this is into the Domaine de Bellene range and once again shows Nicolas Potel as an absolute master craftsman! You will not find a better value bottle of red burgundy.
I’ve cellared the Bourgogne in the past and like its “forbears” this wine will cellar but it is already a delicious and pliant Bourgogne should you wish to get stuck in. Be quick to snare a case of this impressive offering !
“Outstanding” Burghound; April 2021. “Notably ripe yet nicely fresh aromas include those of plum, dark currant and plenty of earth. There is fine volume to the velvety and round middle weight flavors that offer very good depth in the context of what is typical for the genre, on the mildly warm and rustic finale. Worth considering.”
91 points, John Szabo MW, Wine Align “From a high density old vine parcel (70 years old), this is fine Bourgogne rouge, with exceptional depth and length in the category. It’s showing plenty of ripe, sappy and sapid red fruit with a dark and spicy twist, and fine-grained, gritty tannins. Really an exceptional, structured wine in the price category. Best 2022-2026 or so“.
RRP $56 Our Price $46.99
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