Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru 2021 Maison Roche de Bellene

Producer Information: Maison Roche de Bellene

There's no keeping Nicolas Potel down. Following a rift with his previous partners, who have ridiculously retained the Potel name, he founded Maison Roche de Bellene. Bellene being the name used for the town of Beaune up until the middle Ages.
In the mid noughties he started building his vineyard holdings, initially with with 13ha but this has been steadily increasing over the years. Now wines from his own vines go under the Domaine de Bellene label.

He's bought a beautiful winery with flats and a courtyard on the circular road around Beaune. Refurbishment is in full swing and it's all being done sustainably. There is a fantastic old ageing cellar, which was run as a winery by Chanson until the early eighties.

Nicolas Potel's latest trick is to manage the red wine cellars by candle light as normal lighting damages the resveratrol; a key compound in the cholesterol reducing properties of red wine.

Ageing is more and more in larger barrels and there are now soft wax capsules for Grand Crus; just put the corkscrew straight through the wax ... most satisfying!