Region
Burgundy & Chablis, France
Burgundy has always fascinated and frustrated in equal measure. For every eulogising, life-changing proclamation from someone realising wine nirvana, there is some poor soul somewhere bashing their head in perplexity. At its best, Burgundy can provide the ultimate- the transcendental, mystifying, unexplainable pleasure that only truly great wine can bring. But at its worst, it can be an expensive mistake, bring disillusion and even provoke anger.
For sure, Burgundy is not the region of choice for the unadventurous or risk averse! How then to navigate the minefield? Our advice has always been, and still is, to get to know the growers. It sounds like simple advice but with so many producers, from powerful négociant houses to the new breed of micro négociants, from large, historic estates to tiny family domaines, you need to know where to turn and who can be relied upon.
At Armit Wines we work with growers who we count amongst our friends who are by definition, people who won’t let you down. These are personal contacts gleaned from years of visiting, talking, tasting and building relationships. Some friendships grow whilst others fade of course but the great ones endure: legendary, ground-breaking growers such as Anne-Claude Leflaive…
and Guillaume d’Angerville; superstars such as Pascal Lachaux, Christophe Roumier, Jean-Marc Roulot and the Raveneau brothers; under-appreciated talents such as Patrick Bize and Richard Fontaine.
Producer Notes
About DOMAINE DE BELLENE
Nicolas Potel no longer makes the wines that bear his name, he makes them at Domaine de Bellene and they’re superb. JONATHAN RAY, The Telegraphe
Nicolas Potel was unequivocally positive about the 2015 vintage, poetically describing it as one that “was just one long growing season of nothing but blue sky that lasted for 5 months. It was, to be completely frank, such a relief after all of the headaches that was suffered through between 2011 and 2014 and when you throw 2016 in as well, 2015 stands out as a pretty much stress-free vintage. If there was a way to sign a contract for another vintage just like it, I’d gladly sign today! As to the wines, they’re ripe, clean, intense and possess fine transparency to the underlying terroir plus I really like the balance. They should age effortlessly well as they have everything that they need for a very long life.” I in particular call your attention to the two examples of Bourgogne and the old vines St. Romain bottlings as they all offer excellent value
