By Domaine de Bellene
Beaune Premier Cru 'Cuvee Hommage a Francoise Potel' Vieilles Vignes 2018

Background
The Potel family has made Burgundy wines since 1964. From Gerard to Nicolas, 50 years of passion for the vine and wine have passed by. This cuvee, composed of five 1er Crus, reflects the complexity and the delicacy of our terroirs in Beaune, on which our Pinot Noirs are resting. The climats of Pertuisots, Montee Rouge, Reverses, Bressandes, and Clos du Roi are part of this cuvee. We carry out smooth pumping-overs and perform foot-treading. The grapes are gently pressed in a vertical press.

Vintage Details
The 2018 vintage was unexpected at Domaine de Bellene. After a succession of low-yielding vintages due to climatic problems such as hailstorms and frost, this new vintage was opulent in every sense of the word. Thanks to a frost-free vegetative cycle with no rain during flowering, no hail, no fungal infection, and no heatwave, vines produced a large amount of quality grapes. For the 2018 vintage, Domaine de Bellene harvested an average of 51 hectoliters per hectare - all appellations included. The maturity of the grapes was exceptional for both sugars and polyphenols. We started harvesting on September 4th with the parcel Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Chaignots, which already had an alcoholic potential of 13.50%. Harvest time stretched to September 21st and ended in our Hautes-Cotes de Beaune plots. We decided to practice long vatting times, from 21 to 31 days, to minimize our interventions. The wines are definitely of the highest quality; they are very aromatic with silky tannins and show a complex structure. These wines may be drunk young, but also have a significant aging potential.

Vineyard Details
Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
Soil: Clay-limestone
Planting Density: 10,000 stocks/ha
Harvest Date: 09/05/2018

Wine Details
Malolactic Fermentation: 100%
Aging: In 50% new oak
Fining: No
Filtration: Yes
Bottling Date 11/14/2019
Alcohol: 13.50%

Service
Pairing: Red meat
Cellaring Potential: 10-20 years
Service Temperature: 14-16 degrees C
[Information provided by Matador Vino]

Wine: Domaine de Bellene, Hommage a Francoise Potel, Beaune 1er Cru, 2018
Score/Rating: 94
Suggested Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030
Review Date: 01/03/2021
Reviewed By: Charles Curtis MW
Tasting Notes: Nicolas Potel has blended holdings from five separate premiers crus, including Pertuisots, Montee Rouge, Reverses, Bressandes [and] Clos du Roi, to produce this delightfully nuanced wine dedicated to his mother's memory. Gentle extraction and pigeage by foot deliver a wine of subtle nuance and depth of plummy fruit accented with notes of violets and fresh chocolate. The texture is luxurious yet still quite fresh.

Wine: Domaine de Bellene Beaune Premier Cru Vieilles Vignes Hommage a Francoise Potel 2018
Score/Rating: 92
Suggested Drinking Window: Drink now through 2040
Review Date: 05/31/2021
Reviewed By: Bruce Sanderson
Tasting Notes: This is tightly wound, with a mineral underpinning and bright acidity defining the black cherry, black currant and stone flavors. Though compact now, it's balanced and long, with a fresh finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

Wine: Domaine de Bellene 2018 Beaune 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes Hommage a Francoise Potel
Score/Rating: 91
Review Date: 10/2020
Tasting Notes: Powerfully compressed, this wine yields a rose perfume out of its youthful tannic extract. There’s a pungent character to those tannins, with scents of spruce and pine driving the wine forward. Superconcentrated [sic] for now, this needs cellar time to reveal its layers of flavor.

Wine: Domaine de Bellene 2018 Beaune Vieilles Vignes - Hommage a Francoise Potel 1er Cru
Score/Rating: 89
Suggested Drinking Window: 2028+
Review Date: 04/10/2020
Tasting Notes: An overtly ripe though slightly fresher blend consists of attractively floral aromas of red and dark raspberry that is cut with soft spice and earth nuances. There is good energy to the sleekly textured flavors that once again contrast somewhat with the firm and mildly grippy finish.

Wine: Dom de Bellene, Hommage a Francoise Potel Vieilles Vignes Premier Cru 2018 Beaune
Score/Rating: 16/20
Suggested Drinking Window: 2024 - 2030
Review Date: 01/14/2020
Reviewed By: Tim Jackson MW
Tasting Notes: Rich, ripe fruit is the core of the nose, with cinnamon oak and flint complexity. Primary, slightly pinched tannins. Decent length. (TJ)