Meet the man - Nicolas Potel

Yet another amazing dinner organized by Mood Indigo... Absolutely worth the $$. The winemaking skill of Monsieur Nicolas Potel is getting better and better each year. The 2010s best out the 2009 that we had (also with Monsieur Potel) last year.

• 1999 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé 90 Points

  France, Champagne

  The aroma is a bit tight due to serving temperature is too cold. When it warms up, it displays complex aromas along with fine bubbles: yeast, nut, melon and some pink guava notes, honey core, brioche and mineral background. Quite fine and feminine, elegant with good persistent, complex flavors and good energy. Honey lemon, citrus aftertaste at the long finished that echo with light honey sweetness which I believe is from the dosage. Clean. This will need at least another 5yrs for the dosage to settle down and when it is, notch up! 90-92

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Alcohol :: 13%
  This is tighter than the Goutte but equally fresh and with even better intensity and scale. Lots of mineral at the background and citrus lemon fruits. Strong weight, solid mineral and acidity backbone supported the highly concentration and rich flavors brilliantly and avoid any sense of heaviness. Long, palate staining finish with soft mineral undertone that lends finesse to the wine. Potel told us this is a barrel sample which mean the wine is still shaping up and will be even better, I believe. This is promising. 92-93+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Alcohol :: 13%
  Cold refreshing tone of fresh guava, ripe citrus, mineral accompany by deeper tone of toasted oak and nutty note. Fresh. The medium bodied Goutte comes with good weight and mid palate sap which balance by the solid, crisp acid. Soft and intense. Not big scale, but well balance and fresh. With good complex mineral and citrus finished, medium length. This is from the barrel too and I hope this wine will shape up better or close to the Genevrieres. 88-90

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux 86 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Alcohol :: 13%
  A bit too cold hence the aromas is quite restraint: mineral, lemon, gun flint and light hint of lemon. Medium bodied. Creamy entry and getting lusher toward the mid palate but also lacks a bit of focus. Quite tasty though, with sweet lemon and mineral aftertaste, quite long. This should be drink well after release with short term of bottle ageing.

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

  This is surprisingly expressive, even more so than the Corton Charlemagne that served next to it. Not as broad nor deep as the CC but this has slightly more refine and elegant aromatic profile: mild herbs, yellow flower, lemon, melon and ginger along with honey all pack in a rounded, creamy package. Feminine and pure. It has vibrant and solid acidity backbone to support the well delineated layer of flesh and dry extract. The outer texture is creamy and crisp within, showing off the perfect balance with length and power that continue to build up at the exceptionally long finish. This is just as impress as the CC with its underlying finesse and harmony, if not the power and depth of the CC. 93-94+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Corton-Charlemagne 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

  This is noticeably a step up from previous wines. Broad and deep, with highly focus and seductive note of lightly salted butter, creamy nuttiness, lemon custard and white and yellow floral scents. here is a touch of underlying toastiness and honey note too. Very fine on the palate, showing good harmony and integration already even at this young stage. The super long length jus won't uit, with lemony, mineral complexity and finesse. When pair with the soup, the wine reveals more creaminess and rounded, less tight with good punch on the palate. Long finished lingering with complex saline mineral. Impressive. 93-94+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Champeaux 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Medium ruby red. Fresh, opulent sweet dark and red cherry fruits surrounded by earth, wildness, vanilla oak and cold tones underneath. Similar profile on the palate: rounded, opulent. However, this is sufficient of ripe acidity backbone to support the succulent fruits. Quite powerful with palate staining intensity and ripe tannin. Lovely length. Good purity too. 90-91+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Alcohol :: 13%
  The Champeaux is good, but the Petit Monts is clearly a step up in term of overall harmony, purity and finesse, if not the power. Absolutely intriguing here with its exotic Asian spices and rose petal aromas intermixed with sweet strawberry and red cherry as well as autumn leaves. Excellent precision and focus here, elegant and feminine with power well hiding underneath. I especially enjoy the creamy, velvety texture and the complexity, purity of fruits is absolutely first class. Great persistent on the very long, mineral and spices infused finished. 92-93+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  13%
  This is noticeably riper and 'darker' than previous reds. I thought I got caramel note in the core. Despite of that, the aromatic profile is pretty attractive with its dark floral scents, dark and red cherry, berry as well as sweet spices, compelling! Medium bodied, this has slight rough edge but doesn't matter, it has a lot of dry extract and fruits richness to go with. Built with power and structured, unlike the petit mont which focus on finesse and purity. Excellent weight and power at the mid palate result in excellent depth. Tannin is firm and also a bit edgy. Super length, but a bit heavy too. This will be fascinating if it will round up in the bottle with age. 90-91+?

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Alcohol :: 13%
  Highly perfume, this is what's Burgundy is all about. High tone rose petal, blue floral scent that capture one attention immediately. The aromatic profile complex with sweet vanilla oak, sea breeze with just a hint of spicy note. Wow, this is huge on the palate. However, the balance is impeccable hence the palate staining intensity and power in an almost weightless way. Tight and dominated by the tannic structure and fruits are hiding underneath. Grounded coffee bean, dark chocolate aftertaste tailing at the long finish. No really exciting at the moment. Don't get me wrong, this is no doubt excellent and has bright future but today this is quite monolithic and required long aging (7-10yrs) to develop better complexity as well as nuances. 92-93+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Latricières-Chambertin 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Cold and tight, only displays some red fruits and wildness but it is deep and full of substances. This medium bodied Latri is showing of its elegance, finesse and purity. On the palate this is much more expressive that the nose with complex flavors of mineral, sweet red and dark cherry fruits, spices and vanilla oak lingering at the very long, satisfying finished. The complex, saline mineral expression is excellent. Everything is well balance and with incredible underlying power. 93-94+

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• 2010 Maison Roche de Bellene Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Very wild and ripe, tons of power and depth here: smoke meat, beef blood and dark fruits. With more air, some floral scents emerged too. Medium - full bodied. What a sap and depth! Amazing inner perfume too. This has top notch harmony and balance. Especially the light wildness and perfume floral, highly complex and deep mineral with tons of pure sweet fruits yet backing up with unbelievable freshness. Good length and persistent. This will need at least 10yrs of bottle aging in order to bring up the full potential. Bravo. 93-95

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• 2001 Nicolas Potel Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Alcohol :: 13.5%
  This is good, though not as refine as the younger brother. The nose has entered into secondary stage with complex, deep, expressive bouquet of umami, sea breeze, saline mineral, sandalwood, dark floral, smoke meat, licorice as well as sweet herbs. Savory entry, follow by preserved plum, blackberry and black cherry. Lots of umami and savory complexity. Tannin is firm but is so well integrated, polished and refine but somehow, lacks a bit of length and the scale of a very good Beze.

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• 2002 Nicolas Potel Bonnes Mares 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

  Alcohol :: 13.5%
  This too is displaying complex savory meatiness, but with more solid expression of mineral, iron, blood as well as darker fruits and floral profile. Still pretty tight and not as developed as the Beze, of course, this is a stronger vintage afterall. Medium - full bodied. Powerful yet it is so weightless and fresh, with no hard edge at all. Harmony, pure and refine. This has certain class in it which make this stood out. Again, tannin is firm but polished and ripe. There is some savory, salinity tailing at the complex, intensely long finished. Very promising. 93-94+

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• 2001 Nicolas Potel Romanée St. Vivant 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Romanée St. Vivant Grand Cru

  Sweet, almost caramelize but yet there is this freshness to prevent it from being over the top. Exotic spices, seductive floral tone, dried rose petal, savory herbs and sweet dark fruits, autumn leaves all bind into a lovely musical melody. Medium bodied, still a bit backward with fine, ripe tannin supported the lush dark fruits, cloves, cinnamon, autumn leaves as well as smoke meat, capture in an absolutely perfume, velvety mouth feel. I especially like the lovely acidity in it. Stunning length that's goes on and on. Again, this may not possesses top notch finesse or purity, it is still utterly delicious.

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• 2001 Nicolas Potel Richebourg 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Richebourg Grand Cru

  Oh my, this is even more complex and seductive than the already impressive aromatic profile from the RSV. Breathtaking sweet spices, herbs and dark fruits with even better depth. Medioum - full bodied. Oh, such depth and power, yet has this underlying elegance and builds up weight, depth and length in the mouth. This classy, refine Richebourg is stunning.

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