Maison Roche de Bellene

A rich, bright purple in colour, this has dense concentration of dark raspberry fruit. It is very intense on the palate with a relatively firm structure that promises longevity. Lovely fresh finish behind. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Nicholas feels that the saving grace of the 2013 vintage was the amount of small berries caused by millerandage. He has opted for minimum extraction but longish cuvaison. The white wines have not been stirred because they were rich enough naturally. They are expected to be bottled in December and will all be under DIAM corks, apart from the Grands Crus. The reds will be bottled during February.

The 2013 Chambertin Grand Cru is much more open on the nose than the Clos-de-Bèze with blackberry and briary notes, a Chambertin determined to impress (which it certainly does!) The palate is medium-bodied with strawberry and raspberry preserve, fine, almost filigree tannins and a sensual finish that completes one of Nicolas Potel’s best reds. If you cannot afford Armand R, there is always Nicky P.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2014

The nose shows such concentration that it's hard to make out the detail but it is not only massively concentrated but really classy. The volume is sensational here and the acidity is lurking. This wine will continue to build during its remaining time in barrel and will provide a great experience of Montrachet in the long term.
Jasper Morris MW - Burgundy Wine Director

 

Medium deep, bright purple with a healthy heady nose, the use of some whole bunches adds a touch of zest. There follows good, ripe, berry fruit, lively and attractive, more raspberry than strawberry in flavour. The acidity is well harnessed, and the finish admirably persistent. This offers remarkable value in 2014.

“A vintage of pure happiness,” enthuses Nicolas Potel. He rightly retains enthusiasm for Burgundy as a whole and his own wines in particular, though his life has been made more difficult by the explosion of prices for grapes on the open market. However these cuvées make sense to us: we tasted a wide range and picked out the plums.

Medium red, this has a slightly inky nose and a bit of graphite. Good, ripe, red fruit on the palate becomes quite succulent in the glass with attractive, dark fruit and some length. This wine has avoided the dry tannins which can result from too much extraction.

“A vintage of pure happiness,” enthuses Nicolas Potel. He rightly retains enthusiasm for Burgundy as a whole and his own wines in particular, though his life has been made more difficult by the explosion of prices for grapes on the open market. However these cuvées make sense to us: we tasted a wide range and picked out the plums.

Dense, ripe purple with an exuberant nose, this offers a full, richly fruited mouthful, with attractive detail, weight and good length. The oak is integrating nicely. A very pretty, floral style of Echézeaux.

“A vintage of pure happiness,” enthuses Nicolas Potel. He rightly retains enthusiasm for Burgundy as a whole and his own wines in particular, though his life has been made more difficult by the explosion of prices for grapes on the open market. However these cuvées make sense to us: we tasted a wide range and picked out the plums.

Glowing purple, with vigorous raspberry fruit, there is lots of energy here; the result of smart winemaking on fine terroir. There is good fruit-to-acid balance, and the wine is certainly very lively at the finish, with excellent fruit weight.

“A vintage of pure happiness,” enthuses Nicolas Potel. He rightly retains enthusiasm for Burgundy as a whole and his own wines in particular, though his life has been made more difficult by the explosion of prices for grapes on the open market. However these cuvées make sense to us: we tasted a wide range and picked out the plums.

This was our pick between the Clos de Bèze and the Chambertin this year. Middleweight, this has bright, elegant fruit on its refined nose. The wine is attractive, floral, graceful through the middle, then comes up nicely behind. Notably floral, and very persistent.

“A vintage of pure happiness,” enthuses Nicolas Potel. He rightly retains enthusiasm for Burgundy as a whole and his own wines in particular, though his life has been made more difficult by the explosion of prices for grapes on the open market. However these cuvées make sense to us: we tasted a wide range and picked out the plums.

Les Malconsorts is a wonderful wine from this great Premier Cru vineyard, and has very pretty Vosne-Romanée aromatics, fabulously pure fruit and a refreshingly cleansing minerality.

Lovely bright mid-purple with a very stylish nose, including plenty of new wood. Exuberant on the palate, with the oak showing a bit, but it also has lift and class. Alpine strawberries and raspberries abound. A delicious wine from a great vineyard.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

Brilliant pink purple colour. The nose is a touch subdued but the bright red fruit on the palate shows the quality. A mixture of currants and cherries, all with the elegance of classic Volnay. Drink 2014-2017.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Wine Buyer) Showing all the characteristics of this great, and most serious of vintages this is exemplary Volnay. Dense dark fruits and rich spice make this almost drinkable now, such is the purity and finesse to the structure; however I would urge you to cellar this until 2015 and enjoy the development through to 2018, or even 2019 if you prefer yet more development.
Gary Owen, BBR Fine Wine Department

Imperial purple robe. The nose stands up to be counted, with some intense raspberry notes. Statuesque but light on its feet, easily in balance with the final tannins.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director

Maison Roche de Bellene Production has recently moved to a new facility on the outskirts of Beaune, which is making life much easier for the Roche de Bellene team. The philosophy stays the same: work with excellent grape sources and get the wines out into the market at competitive prices. The reds have had an excellent following for many a year now, while recently the whites have shown the same impressive price to quality ratio that makes this such a good address.

Just three barrels made this year, and although it is raised in new wood this does not show, thanks to the concentration of the wine. A rich purple colour with very lively red fruit and some raspberry notes, filling out the middle palate vey well, good weight, attractive acid balance. Another excellent Corton, as in recent years. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Nicholas feels that the saving grace of the 2013 vintage was the amount of small berries caused by millerandage. He has opted for minimum extraction but longish cuvaison. The white wines have not been stirred because they were rich enough naturally. They are expected to be bottled in December and will all be under DIAM corks, apart from the Grands Crus. The reds will be bottled during February.

Two barrels were made of this vigorous purple red wine. It has ripe cherry notes and is not heavyweight, but is very appealing. There is a good middle to this, then the structure comes up behind, to confirm that it is going to need time. Happily the ripe cherry fruit returns at the back. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Nicholas feels that the saving grace of the 2013 vintage was the amount of small berries caused by millerandage. He has opted for minimum extraction but longish cuvaison. The white wines have not been stirred because they were rich enough naturally. They are expected to be bottled in December and will all be under DIAM corks, apart from the Grands Crus. The reds will be bottled during February.
 

The 2013 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has an attractive mulberry and candied orange peel, touches of wild heather lending a bit of wildness. The oak is nicely integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins: masculine with very fine tension on the black pepper-tinged finish that just needs to muster more flesh and corpulence. That may develop in bottle, of course.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2014

Nicolas Potel has crafted a beautifully silky wine from this prestigious Grand Cru in 2012. The 50% new oak is seamlessly integrated, with fruit from 30 year old vines providing pleasing texture and a classy, persistent finish. This wine will develop many complex layers of flavour over the next 10-15 years.
Anne Mc Hale MW - Wine Education Specialist

Medium purple, displaying a really brilliant, lively red fruit nose that is explosive and exciting. On the palate this is a middleweight Corton, with more elegance than the chunkier style which some offer.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

Taking the place of our usual Vieilles Vignes bottling is this Réserve Spéciale. It is, in fact, a cuvée of Premier Cru Volnay Santenots but cunningly secured at a Village wine price. Do not hesitate! It is marvellously succulent; a terrific wine for the price.

Medium bright red in colour, this has a little touch of bacon fat on the nose. This has rounded out beautifully on the palate, the initial acidity becoming integrated into the fruit and body. Allow time in the glass and the more perfumed nose of classic Volnay will start to come out, and the palate soon adds a layer of velvet.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Burgundy 2012 En Primeur - Staff Favourite
Intense, ripe, dark and spicy. Huge depth and concentration across the broad, mouth filling palate. Fine acidity provides the vibrancy and drive. A very fine Grand Cru combining charm and finesse with extreme power. Patience required to see the best here.
Martyn Rolph, Fine Wine

This has been a favourite Roche de Bellene cuvée for a while. The 2012 has a beautiful fresh mid-purple colour, with a sublime, balanced, heady nose, that’s very floral and exquisitely poised. Fine-boned, precise red fruit on the palate, with some tannins behind to lend support and just enough acidity to complete the balance of the wine.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

This is one of those wines that shows its class from the very first sniff. Absolutely delicious, it has perfectly harmonious fruit, and the harmonious oak from high class barrels is in evidence too. It should drink well quite early on but stay the course.

Nicolas Potel has installed the négociant arm of his business on the Savigny side of town which gives him plenty of space for making and maturing the wines, along with logistics and office needs, while keeping his Domaine de Bellene operation completely separate in Beaune itself. The selling point here is consistent competence mixed with attractive pricing.

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There is unquestioning nobility to the nose of this imperial purple wine. It is very powerful and very intense with a backbone of steel. Concentrated, full red, not black, fruit fills the mouth. It displays dramatic intensity and a great sense of nervous tension. This is a superb example of Chambertin.
Jasper Morris MW,Berrys' Burgundy Director

This Vosne-Romanée, Les Malconsorts from Roche de Bellene is a combination of two cuvées producing a wine greater than the sum of its parts, which is deep and dense with an exquisite finish.

Fine brisk, glowing purple, a really enticing colour before you get on to the nose, a touch of blackberry though otherwise predominantly red fruit notes. Soft and suave and succulent but with presence and structure. Very long finish. A great result.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer)

Burgundy 2009 Best Buys – Grand Cru Wines
The mad genius that can produce such a comprehensive range of wines, all with their own distinctive character, is something to celebrate. Nicolas Potel has proved in 2009 that his Clos St Denis is no exception; poise and precision are all wrapped up in this brooding, yet beguiling, wine.
(Stuart Rae, Cellar Plan Account Manager)

Only two barrels of this thrilling, delicious Grand Cru were made. It has a beautiful, full purple colour with a heavenly, hedonistic nose and abundantly rich, sensual fruit.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer)

Bright purple, the fruit on the nose is immediately charming, continuing with intensity on the palate, linear and detailed, just ripe enough. Good fruit acid balance and persistent. Really classic for this year, elegant yet focussed. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Nicholas feels that the saving grace of the 2013 vintage was the amount of small berries caused by millerandage. He has opted for minimum extraction but longish cuvaison. The white wines have not been stirred because they were rich enough naturally. They are expected to be bottled in December and will all be under DIAM corks, apart from the Grands Crus. The reds will be bottled during February.

Robust, vibrant mid purple, this is pretty powerful stuff with marvellous density to it. It exhibits a concentrated extract of ripe red fruits, tightly-knit but impressive, clearly needing more time. The finish is lovely nonetheless.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

Medium purple with a stylish, this has an elegant nose, some lifted raspberry notes, and is very elegant. There is a lovely steely core behind, with some toast from the wood, but plenty of energy at the back and excellent length.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.

This cuvée comprises old vine village Volnay, blended with Premiers Crus Santenots and Carelle. Mid-purple in colour, there are flowers and fine red fruit through the middle with a touch of barrel toast. This is not an over concentrated Volnay, as some are this year.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

Nicolas Potel has retained the majority of his regular contracts in 2012, though a couple are missing after the hail. Like everybody else, he has had to pay more for his grapes though, especially at the top end of the hierarchy. But as ever there are some delicious wines in the range, and at the lower end the prices are thoroughly competitive.