Nicolas Potel 1969- 2025

Image © Michel Joly

The wine community of Beaune is feeling very subdued at the moment after the shock news of the death of Nicolas Potel on Friday June 27th. Burgundy has lost an exceptional and charismatic talent.

Nicolas was brought up at Domaine de la Pousse d’Or in Volnay, where his father was régisseur until the sale of the property and his own untimely death in 1997. Nicolas, being well funded in wine lore and in contacts, soon set up his own negociant company, specialising in small lots of predominantly red wines. The project received critical acclaim from the start, but expansion required refinancing, resulting in the Cottin brothers of Maison Labouré-Roi taking full control. It proved to be an uneasy partnership, and shortly after Nicolas had purchased a domaine of his own (formerly Domaine Carementrant), he and the Cottins parted company, though Nicolas had to leave his name behind when he moved on.

The new domaine was christened Domaine de Bellene, referencing the god for whom Beaune was named, with a negociant arm, Maison Roche de Bellene, including a section specialising in purchasing supplies of old vintages from growers who had a tradition of holding back stocks, and taking them to market under the name Collection Bellenum.

Nicolas succeeded in developing his new ventures with his characteristic flair, though his original program of offering top appellations under the Roche de Bellene label at very fair prices, had to be modified as the price of the raw material increased inexorably. The domaine wines progressed serenely, centred on, but by no means restricted to, Beaune vineyards including a magnificent cuvée of Beaune 1er Cru Grèves from vines dating back to 1904.

Tragically, Nicolas ended his life this summer, leaving behind his three children, Alphonse, Antonia and Émilien.