Nicholas Potel's Maison Roche De Bellene Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes 2013
The fruit of Maison Roche De Bellene Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes 2013 comes from a vineyard of old vines(65 to 85 years old age) where low yields are controlled, located on the limit of Beaune, facing Pommard. This old vines pinot noir is, as rightly put by Michel Beauchamp, a supple and fresh Pinot Noir from Burgundy. An Honest wine, it is all about red fruits very supple tannins; it is a thirst-quenching, pleasureful wine.
Being Pinot lovers as well, we believe this is an exceptionally good entry level wine because of the following:
Simple and excellent winemaking – hand pick the grapes, then put them in the vats for fermentation without any yeasts or enzymes, giving forward fruit with excellent ripeness from the warmer 2013 with no sugar to add to- hence purity of fruit.
Nicholas Potel’s international attitude gained from his training in Australia and California leads him to prefer generous fruit qualities, and therefore his wines are remarkably rich and sensual. And that added much to the traditional Burgundian terrior defined in the wider sense to make a wine even more drinkable.
Vine age adds to higher intensity and density.
Nicolas Potel is one of a new breed of vinificateurs who are redefining the meaning of négociant. Tasting this excellent entry level wine is the most cost effective way to look into one new outlook of Burgundian wines untied to unnecessarily traditionalism.
Enjoy.