Domaine de Bellene is the estate of Nicolas Potel in Beaune, created after his earlier chapter at Maison Nicolas Potel. The focus is unambiguously Burgundian and vineyard-first: sustainably farmed (with many parcels organic or farmed along organic/biodynamic lines), low yields, hand harvesting, and a preference for old vines that deliver natural concentration without heaviness. The domaine’s core lies in the Côte de Beaune—Santenay, Saint-Aubin, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Beaune, Volnay and Pommard—supplemented by carefully chosen parcels elsewhere when they fit the house brief.
In the cellar the approach is restrained and transparent to site. Whites are pressed gently and fermented in oak with new barrels used judiciously; lees ageing builds mid-palate without blurring line, and bottling is typically with minimal intervention. Reds see mostly destemmed fruit with a tailored percentage of whole clusters when stems are ripe; extractions are gentle to favour fine, long-chained tannins and a cool, mineral thread. Oak is selected for grain and toast to read as texture and cadence rather than flavour.
Stylistically the wines are precise and energetic. The whites lean on citrus, stone fruit and a saline, chalk-lined finish—freshness first, with discreet brioche/almond from élevage. The reds are vivid and perfumed—red cherry and raspberry, sweet spice and sous-bois nuance—carried by lively acidity and neatly meshed tannins. Across colours, alcohol is kept in check and the finish is dry and mouth-watering, making the wines as compelling at table as they are in the cellar.
Domaine de Bellene sits alongside Potel’s négociant house, Maison Roche de Bellene, which sources fruit from trusted growers (often old vines) across the Côte d’Or. The two labels are clearly differentiated: domaine wines from estate-farmed parcels, négociant wines from contracted growers, both made to the same clarity-first philosophy. For collectors searching “Domaine de Bellene Burgundy,” the promise is consistent: old-vine raw material, thoughtful farming, and calm, modern winemaking that lets each village and vineyard speak cleanly in the glass.
