Is anyone familiar enough with this wine to guess how it’s drinking now? JJ Buckley sent an email this morning offering it for $160. Normally much more than I spend on a bottle, but I have a gift certificate to use and have never tried aged burgundy. Any input is appreciated.
Maison Collection Bellenum Clos de la Roche
No idea on this wine…or what it is/was or who bottled it…and the blurb isn’t any help. I’d guess it was from a known producer and re-labeled then…or now…
hard to offer any insights, as a result.
Well,
Not sure who made the wine, but Nicolas Potel who owns Roche de Bellene has done this in the past under the “Selection” Nicolas Potel label (which he isn’t a part of anymore). Most likely he went to a producer who has stock of 1995 Clos de la Roche, bought some bottles, and put his name/label on them. Good luck.
As explained by a rep of Mr. Potel at a tasting event I recently attended, these wines are purchased by Mr. Potel from various producers and then sold under his label. So, he does not make the wine, and, according to the rep., they will not tell folks who made the wine.
There’s a thread here on where it’s probably from. When these were first released, looking at some of the prices, I thought they were off vintage Leroys being dumped for some reason. Nope. After seeing the scores and the potential producers I didn’t buy any.
Thanks for the helpful replays - glad I listened to you guys instead of trusting the JJ Buckley sales pitch. Will stick to a proven producer with full disclosure on who/where it’s from.
I know where this is from but have edited out the information on good advice. It will be tough but delicious now for those who like delicious toughness. Marvellous wines to my taste but my taste is not the same as everyone’s. They are much too expensive now though, five years ago you could pick this up in its original clothing quite cheaply.
I would always ignore scores with older Burgundy, they mean almost nothing.
All depends on who reviewed the wine and when they did that…
It’s all DRC and Truchot juice, worth triple asking price. BUY. *
Not even that, there are far too many variables.
That basically encompasses all reviews…
Every bottle is different.
I thought these were Potel-made wines. You mean he went out on the open market, bought a bunch of ex-cellar bottles from random producers, put his label on it, and jacked up the price? What kind of clown show is that?
Indeed, but they get more different as they get older and need much more time to compose themselves in their final resting places.
He’s not the first to do this, nor are the producers random. Don’t forget that even such an eminent source as Drouhin will sometimes sell wine bottled by its grower rather than themselves.
Nick,
To offer a counterpoint, I think it’s a pretty cool thing he’s doing.
I won (off WC) 2 bottles of 78’ volnay around $75 per, I think it’s pretty cool to get ex-chateau wine that has been tasted and are sound without having to take a chance at provenance through auction.
A Maison Leroy kind of clown show that gets all kinds of praise here?
Good luck, almost without exception all the ex-chateau Burgundy “gems” I’ve had the misfortune of buying from trusted sources should have stayed “en-chateau” (pardon my French). Perfect provenance != good wine.
That’s my understanding.
i think lots of negoces/eleveurs do that…
look at Dominque Laurent: he does just that…and with his label, he charges/charged a lot more than the people he bought them from charged for the same wines…e.g., Chevillon, Maume. Put a fancy label on with a “name” and voila…and this one…no one has even heard of …making it even better for that premium.