Our long standing friend Nicolas Potel has a backstory in wine worthy of a Netflix series:-
Nicolas originally learned his winemaking from his father, who was the manager (and minority shareholder) of the lauded Domaine Pousse d`Or. Upon his father's passing in 1996 the majority owners decided to sell up rather than let Nicolas take the reins so utilising his connections amongst smallholding growers he established the boutique micro-negociant Nicolas Potel.
By 2004 Nicolas, in search of outside investment Nicolas, sold to the Cottin brothers of Labouré-Roi, but the relationship had soured and Nicolas officially left in 2009, with the last vintage he made being 2006. (NB. Cottin Freres still own the rights to the Maison Nicolas Potel name and appears to use it intermittently).
And thus from 2007 he has been operating as the "de Bellenes"- Maison Roche de Bellene is the negociant side, and the much smaller production Domaine de Bellene from vineyards owned by himself, starting with some parcels in Beaune and expanding from there.
£18.75
£54.75
£220.80
£36.30
£23.30
£52.80
£36.80
£120.30
£26.75
£29.75
£350.80
£57.80
£30.30
£43.30
£130.80
£115.80
£28.80
£40.30
£43.30
Produced from a small (0.49 ha) plot of 50 to 68 year old vines, this is classic Chambolle. Hand harvested and fermented using only indigenous yeast it then underwent maturation in 35% new oak barrels.
£145.80