Potel Chambolle -- Les Charmes 1999

K

kirk wallace

kirk wallace
I don't see much talk of Nicolas Potel on here. What are the various disorderly views? I ask in particular because I took a break from '09 Beaujolais last week and opened a bottle of his '99 C-M Les Charmes 1er cru. It was dense and complex on the nose, some but not all of the prettiness that I like in Chambolle, but it was pretty hard and even a touch angry around the edges in the mouth. For about the first hour; then it rounded itself and opened up. It becamoe a lovely and plush medium weight burgundy, without ever become wan or flabby. Seemed to me like just 1 or 2 more years and it will be a really nice, fully developed well balanced wine with a lovely chambolle nose and flavors.

I've enjoyed the hell out of his '02 Bonnes Mares, which drank well young and still was very nice (and still young) about 6 months ago, but I haven't opened many other Potels. Anybody have views or advice?
 
One problem in giving advice is that when Potel began (and 1999 was only his second or third vintage of operation, IIRC), he was buying a lot of wine in barrel, so there were variations in methods of making the wine. As the years went by, he switched increasingly to vinifying his products (although never achieving 100%, I believe).
 
As Claude mentions, it's hard to generalize about Potel because the wines come from so many different sources. I was always drawn to his incredible assortment of Vosne-Romanee 1er crus, which really gave you a nice tour of the village. I did get the sense that the quality of the wines jumped somewhere between '99 and '02. Well, jumped with the '02s I guess.
 
frankly, I've really enjoyed the 1999 potel wines I've had (gaudichots, santenots, pitures, clos tavannes) - only the bonnes mares - which was hard as a rock when I opened a bottle several years ago - failed to give pleasure. I also have enjoyed several half bottles of the 02 chambolle villages. The only 99s I own I've not tried are the taillipieds, clos st denis and vaucrains. For no particularly good reason, I presently own no Potel other than 99s and 05s - but I like the wines.
 
I'm working my way through 1/2 case of the cheap stuff: 06 Savigny-ls-Beaune V.V. One good bottle, two that were so-so, but another a couple of days ago that drank way above its price.
 
originally posted by maureen:
frankly, I've really enjoyed the 1999 potel wines I've had (gaudichots, santenots, pitures, clos tavannes) - only the bonnes mares - which was hard as a rock when I opened a bottle several years ago - failed to give pleasure. I also have enjoyed several half bottles of the 02 chambolle villages. The only 99s I own I've not tried are the taillipieds, clos st denis and vaucrains. For no particularly good reason, I presently own no Potel other than 99s and 05s - but I like the wines.
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Thanks, Maureen. I know I have '05s as well; i should check whether i own any '02s (other than that delicous Bonnes Mares).
 
originally posted by .sasha:
I thought the domaine was sold in 2007
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?? What domaine? Potel was/is a negociant house; Cottin Frres (Labour-Roi) bought in (in 2003, IRRC) and Nicolas left in 2009, starting up his own firm located in Beaune. He also has an estate that seems to be adding quite a bit of property -- someone from the outside with quite a bit of money must be backing him.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by .sasha:
I thought the domaine was sold in 2007
Click to expand...
?? What domaine? Potel was/is a negociant house; Cottin Frres (Labour-Roi) bought in (in 2003, IRRC) and Nicolas left in 2009, starting up his own firm located in Beaune. He also has an estate that seems to be adding quite a bit of property -- someone from the outside with quite a bit of money must be backing him.
Click to expand...

Can't vouch for it, but this is similar to other reports I found on the Interwebz: Potel .
 
originally posted by kirk wallace:
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by .sasha:
I thought the domaine was sold in 2007
Click to expand...
?? What domaine? Potel was/is a negociant house; Cottin Frres (Labour-Roi) bought in (in 2003, IRRC) and Nicolas left in 2009, starting up his own firm located in Beaune. He also has an estate that seems to be adding quite a bit of property -- someone from the outside with quite a bit of money must be backing him.
Click to expand...

Can't vouch for it, but this is similar to other reports I found on the Interwebz: Potel .
Click to expand...
Toby's a friend and an excellent source. My recollection is that Potel left Cottin in 2009, and that is confirmed by what Jasper Morris says here http://bbrblog.com/2009/05/01/nicolas-potel/, and Clive Coates here http://www.clive-coates.com/news/news-from-burgundy, and Bill Nanson here: http://www.burgundy-report.com/summer-2010/profile-domaine-de-bellene-beaune/. I think that in saying Nicolas left Maison Nicolas Potel in 2006/2007, Toby was referring to the fact that 2006 and 2007 were the last two vintages to go all the way to bottling under Nicolas (2008 was the last one to be fermented and partially raised under Nicolas).
 
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