I don’t think he sells wine bottled elsewhere under his label, Stuart, except for the few old ones he’s released.
Perhaps this venture has expanded, but my understanding was that it started when Potel left “Potel” to start Roche de Bellene. The facilities he purchased came with a stock of library wines, which he was to release at Bellenum, provided the quality was up to snuff.
Your characterization is consistent with my understanding, Tom. As far as I know, he bottles it, then slaps his label on the wine…
FWIW, either way, one is paying a premium for some added “value” of the label.
I read the corks are original so if you open them, you know where they came from…not true?
Depends on if cork is branded no?
There’s the curious thing. When these wines were first available they were branded. Now it seems they are not, which seems to me to imply that they were recorked, to my mind a shocking thing to do.
I have this one
2001 Maison Roche de Bellene Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers
We’ve tried one; I think it was recorked. It was unexciting at best but I really like Nicky’s new stuff. We visited a few years ago