【Maison Nicolas Potel | The Starting Point of the Late Legendary Winemaker】
【Barrel-Aged Chardonnay, Creamy, Smooth, and Layered】
【Legendary Estate Background: One of the Designated Wineries for French Presidential Banquets】
Background
Nicolas helped out at wineries from a young age and became determined to pursue winemaking. From the age of 17, he also studied winemaking at several other wineries, learning French vineyard management philosophy and the latest winemaking techniques. At 23, Nicolas returned to Domaine de la Pousse d’Or to work with his father, Gerard Potel, and began establishing Maison Nicolas Potel. Maison Nicolas Potel's first vintage was 1996. After Gerard's sudden death from a heart attack in 1997, most of Pousse d'Or's shareholders decided to sell the winery to French businessman Landanger, at which point the Potel family had to move out. However, Maison Nicolas Potel's wine business flourished. By 2002, Maison Nicolas Potel had over 100 wines, covering 50 Burgundy appellations. In 2003, due to insolvency, it was sold to Labouré-Roi (one of Burgundy's five largest wine merchants, the other four being Louis Latour, Louis Jadot, Chanson, and Faively), and its business reached new heights, soaring from €5 million in 2003 to €9 million in 2008. However, in 2005, a dispute arose with Labouré-Roi, culminating in the dismissal of its winemaker position in 2009 and Nicolas being forced to relinquish the Domaine Nicolas Potel name on copyright grounds. Domaine Nicolas Potel is now known as Domaine de Bellene, and the wine merchant brand Maison Roche de Bellene has been established, producing approximately 5,000 cases of wine annually from a combination of its own vineyards and purchased grapes.
Nicolas follows his philosophy, leading many growers to become organic. “I believe that to make quality wine, the less modification done during the winemaking process, the better. This means I prefer a more sensitive approach to winemaking than to work based on analysis. Systematically selecting grapes removes bad ones, and we avoid using commercial artificial products: such as yeast, bacteria, enzymes, or acids. The only one I (allow myself to use) is sugar.” Since its founding just 10 years ago (1997), Nicolas Potel has steadily grown in influence. He is undoubtedly one of Burgundy’s top winemakers. Maison Nicolas Potel has built an international reputation by producing wines from some of the region’s most beautiful terroirs. The villages, including Premier Crus and Grands Crus, are renowned and recommended worldwide for showcasing the purity of the grapes, the authentic region, and the place of origin. During winemaking, they minimize disturbance, aging on fine lees for 12 to 16 months with minimal SO2, following a biodynamic calendar, and striving to adhere to their wine style at the root day to respect its best character.
Vieilli en Fût de Chene, a barrel-aged white wine
The French phrase on the label means "aged in oak barrels." Barrel aging makes the wine creamier, smoother, and more delicate, increasing its overall complexity. A top choice for beginners in Burgundy, this creamy Chardonnay is a great option. Even renowned wine critic Neal Martin has praised Nicolas's wines as "reasonably priced," making them a suitable starting point for exploring Burgundy.
