Wine Advisor
Maison Roche de Bellene, Vosne Romanee 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2012 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Malconsorts has a very fragrant, quite floral bouquet with scents of raspberry preserve and Morello; hints of rose petal in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a rather austere opening. Structure and a little “distant” – you might find yourself yearning for the charm showed by the Gevrey premier crus. Then again, Malconsorts are often hiding things up their sleeves. Burgundy needs personalities and they do not come much bigger than Nicolas Potel. He’s been on the scene ever since I remember him attending some of the London primeur tastings back in the late 1990s. His path to success has never been straightforward: working his way around Australia and California, starting a small negoce a year before the untimely passing of his father and the sale of the Pousse d’Or estate; the sudden explosion of cuvees under his Maison Nicolas Potel label that ultimately led to liquidity problems and the sale to Cottin Freres; the debacle of then being fired from the brand that bore his own name in 2009 and finally, the creation of Domaine de Bellene from his base in Beaune. The maison was amid renovation when I called in on a freezing Thursday evening for a comprehensive tasting of both domaine and negociant wines. Fortunately, there are no longer the 100+ crus of Maison Nicolas Potel back in the 1990s, but through his numerous friends and contacts, Nicolas has still managed to accumulate a considerable portfolio that includes a number of grand crus. And he knows that with such a diverse array of wines, it is vital to keep an eye on standards. To this end, he has adopted organic viticulture in his vineyards, prudently using whole cluster ferments and monitoring the use of new oak so that it is commensurate with the fruit concentration, in particular through his judicious use of larger 600-litre barrels. I guess in some ways you can draw parallels with the Remoissenet operation nearby: focusing on quality at various price points across a broad range of appellations and crus. Nicolas himself is and always has been quite a character. I can imagine when he was younger and working in Australia he had no problem keeping up with the obligatory beer consumption. He is always candid about the goings on in Burgundy, and I sensed that he acknowledges the importance of building Domaine de Bellene and Maison Roche de Bellene into long-term, stable and viable brands after the trials of the past. In this respect he is doing a great job, because these were mainly excellent wines. Not every single wine was without fault, but as a range of wines and given the reasonable prices asked, one can have few complaints. Echoing the sentiments at Remoissennet, there is a burgeoning need for such wines. Not everyone can afford Roumier or DRC. Importer: Loosen Bros., www.loosenbrosusa.com and available through most UK merchants (see http://www.domainedebellene.com/distributeurs-bellene-uk.html for full list.)
About the Producer
From generation to generation In 1964 Françoise and Gérard POTEL arrived in Burgundy in the village of Volnay. At the time, Gérard was an agronomist and a demanding winemaker, and he succeed to convey his passion for the wine to his family. The POTEL’s started then producing high-quality Burgundy wines. They decided to focus their production on the pinot noir grape variety and to vinify only Premier Crus. In the beginning, the family estate stretched from the villages Volnay and Pommard to Santenay. This estate quickly developed and became a renowned winery in Burgundy. Nicolas's experiences abroad Before taking over the family run business, Nicolas POTEL benefited from enriching experiences all over the world. He had the opportunity to learn from the most prestigious winemakers and to get a new approach of the vineyard work. Nicolas’s travel started in Australia, at the Margaret River winery, with Moss WOOD – a pioneer in the high quality wines. Then, he came back to France, in order to work with Pierre MATROT at the Matrot winery, a winemaker he admired and appreciated. After this new experience, Nicolas POTEL headed back abroad again, to California, with Tom DEHLINGER the specialist of the Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. He finally came back to France in order to work with Christophe ROUMIER at the Georges ROUMIER winery in Chambolle-Musigny. After 2 years in France, he planned 3 consecutive trips to Australia at the Mount Mary winery, considered as the Australian Romanée-Conti. There, he worked with John MIDDLETON and then moved to Western Australia at the Leeuwin Estate, the specialist of the Chardonnay. Once back in France, he worked as a vineyard manager and developed organic agriculture at the family estate. Our first wine trading company Nicolas POTEL decided to follow the same philosophy that the family estate had. He truly wanted to produce high quality wines respecting the unique terroir of Burgundy. Right after the death of his father in 1997, he created his own wine trading company in Nuits Saint Georges: la Maison Nicolas POTEL. La Maison Nicolas POTEL bought Pinot Noir grapes in beautiful plots and from very old vines. Grapes were harvested and selected with the greatest care. They were carried to the winery in small harvesting crates and selected again on a sorting table. This wine trading company is also pioneer in innovation and modern equipment. Grapes are vinified thanks to a vertical press and an efficient bottling line. The wine is racked depending on the lunar and the biodynamic calendars. Then the wine is aged in very old cellars in order to benefit from the best ageing conditions. La Maison Nicolas POTEL encountered a clear success with positive feedbacks. In the early 2000’s, the company along with its brand “Nicolas POTEL” were sold to another wine trading company.
