Domaine de Bellene

Nicolas Potel set up Domaine de Bellene, his négociant company in 1997, the year after his father’s death and the sale of Domaine de la Pousse d’Or which Gérard Potel had been managing. Though his own business Domaine Nicolas Potel was taken over by the Cottin brothers of Maison Labouré-Roi in 2004, Nicolas continued to run the operation until 2009 while looking out for vineyard land of his own.

In 2005 he was able to buy some vineyards (the former Domaine Carementrant, in Beaune) though the 2005 and 2006 crops were included in his négociant operation. This concern has been renamed Domaine de Bellene from the 2008 vintage, though it might revenrt to the Domaine de Potel depending on the outcome of legal discussions on the ownership of Potel name.

From the 2007 vintage it has been up and running in some marvellous old cellars, renovated to an ecologically admirable standard (‘Haute Qualité Environnementale’), on the Dijon road out of Beaune. Including some farming contracts, the domaine now comprises 22 hectares as below. The vineyards are being converted to organic farming, with some biodynamic elements.

Red Wines
Beaune 1er Cru Perrières 0.22ha
Beaune 1er Cru Grèves 0.23ha
Beaune 1er Cru Theurons 0.54ha
Beaune 1er Cru Clos du Roi 0.58ha
Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots 0.22ha
Beaune 1er Cru Montée Rouge 0.23ha
Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Aux Chaignots (from 2009) 0.14ha
Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Hauts Jarrons 0.47ha
Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Peuillets 0.30ha
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots (from 2009) 0.22ha
Vosne-Romanée Les Quartiers de Nuits (from 2009)         0.32ha
Beaune        0.39ha
Nuits-St-Georges (from 2009)       2.46ha
Savigny-lès-Beaune vieilles vignes   1.43ha
Volnay     0.42ha
Côte de Nuits-Villages 1.27ha
 
White Wines
St-Romain Blanc     1.84ha
Santenay Blanc    0.39ha
Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc 1.03ha
Côte de Nuits-Villages Blanc    0.21ha