Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanee Aux Malconsorts Premier Cru 2001
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Today, it is in the selection, vinification, and aging of their finest wines that Maison Nicolas Potel winemaker Brigitte Putzu focuses all of her attention on. Her time working side by side with Nicolas Potel and her knowledge of Burgundy's exceptional terroirs and incredibly diverse vineyards, allows her to select, vinify, and bring her assurance of quality to a large array of appellations and varietal wines.
Maison Nicolas Potel has built its international reputation by making wines from the most beautiful vineyards of the Burgundy region. Their appellation Villages, Premiers Crus and Grand Crus are recommended all over the world due to their purity of style, their authentic appellations and native lands. They adhere to sustainable viticulture, sourcing some fruit from 35+ year old vineyards, grapes from biodynamic and organic vineyards when possible, and from long-time grower partners. Brigitte follows the bio-dynamic calendar and creates wines in their style, either on root days or on fruit days, in order to respect the best of their individuality. Traditional winemaking, with very little intervention during the winemaking process, fermentation with only natural yeasts, limited use of oak / partial malolactic fermentation. Simply stated, these are delicious, fruit-forward wines to enjoy!
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
This is the village for the most die-hard Burgundy fanatics. Vosne-Romanée has for many hundreds of years been the source of the most sought-after Pinot Noir in Burgundy. The village claims six Grands Crus—and some of the most famous at that—but in other villages where owners manage tiny parcels or a few rows of any one vineyard, monopolies dominate the Grands Crus of Vosne-Romanee.
Of these monopolies, Domaine Romanee-Conti (DRC) reigns supreme, claiming not only more total vineyard area than any other producer, but outright owning the entirety of two of the Grands Crus and a majority of two others. In its full possession are naturally Romanée-Conti, as well as La Tâche. DRC also owns most of Richebourg and Romanée-St-Vivant. The final two, La Grande Rue and La Romanée are completely owned by other other produers: François Lamarche and Comte Liger Belair, respectively.
While one could spend a lifetime on the puzzles of land ownership in Burgundy, the point is that Vosne-Romanee contains the most valuable pieces of vineyard real estate in the world. Pinot Noir from any of its vineyards—especially from within its 27ha of Grand Cru or 58 ha of Premier Cru land—is going to rank among the best.
The most outstanding wines from this village have everything: finesse and elegance coupled with the body and sturdiness for incredibly long aging ability. They are intensely floral and exotically spiced. Beautifully ripe, complex and ephemeral throughout, they are robust, yet fine-grained in texture. These wines will stay gorgeous for the long haul.