DOMAINE DE BELLENE

Most of us have grown to accept that the nomenclature of Burgundy wines can be confusing, but when you discover that the wines of Maison de Nicolas Potel are not anything to do with the maverick man himself, that he now has his own estate, Domaine de Bellene - located in a 15th-Century abbey in Beaune - you can do an eye roll worthy of the French themselves.

The untimely death of his revered father, Gerard, and difficult financial dealings under his own name saw the young and dynamic artisan - one of the new Burgundian breed - launch Domaine de Bellene. Nicolas has converted many of his growers to organic practices, and adhering religiously to his philosophy, Domaine de Bellene is 100% Organic, Carbon Neutral and uses donkeys and horses for all vineyard work. Nicolas Potel has gone from strength to strength, establishing himself as one of Burgundy’s top winemakers.

On the Dijon road, in the historic town of Beaune, sits Domaine de Bellene. This very modern winery is sited in abbey buildings that date back to the 1600s, all renovated as, Nicolas himself deliciously translates, ‘in the green spirit.’ Having sold Domaine de Nicolas Potel to other interests (the wag!), Nicolas procured some of the oldest vines (50-110 years old) and best plots in Burgundy and set about converting them to organic and biodynamic practices. No chaptalisation here, mon ami, no tractors either: just donkeys and horses for the back-breaking vineyard work. And just true expressions from some of the greatest earth on earth.