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, www.telegraph.co.uk

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.

While the bulk of the holdings come from some of the less glamorous appellations like St Romain, Savigny Les Beaune and Santenay, Potel also has plots in Volnay, Beaune, and Nuits St Georges and Vosne Romanee. In keeping with his philosophy all the vineyards have the common characteristics of excellent aspects, very old vines and where possible the plots are farmed organically with plans to move everything to bio-dynamics in the coming years.

In the cellar, the wines are made without added enzymes, acidification, sugar or anything other than that which exists in the raw materials themselves. Letting the vineyard and the season express itself without excessive intervention from the hand of man is central to making wine here.

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.

In style the wines are quite different to those of Maison Potel showing, as a general statement, more individual vineyard identity with a more approachable gentler styling than those at the negociant. Philip and I tasted here in March 2009 and were incredibly impressed with both reds and whites; they show good ripeness coupled with lovely purity and clarity. We highly recommend them.
MICHAEL MCNAMARA, Prince Wine Store