Maison Roche de Bellene

A Vision for Burgundy Excellence

Maison Roche de Bellene is the négociant label of renowned Burgundy winemaker Nicolas Potel. Potel oversees several successful ventures in the Côte d’Or, including his own Domaine de Bellene, the Maison Roche de Bellene négociant business, and the “Collection Bellenum,” a curated selection of exceptional finished wines. With Collection Bellenum, Potel leverages his finely honed tasting skills and extensive network of contacts in the Côte d’Or to create a truly remarkable wine collection.

A Pioneer of Burgundy's Winemaking Renaissance

An iconic figure in Burgundy’s winemaking history, Nicolas Potel and his late father played a pivotal role in transitioning from cooperative-style production

to independent domaines (i.e. purchasing and cultivating their own holdings), paving the way for the superior quality wines we celebrate today. This shift, though extremely costly, allowed winemakers to gain complete control from vine to bottle, resulting in exceptional craftsmanship.

A focus on Maison Roche de Bellene

The name “Bellene” pays homage to Beaune’s ancient history, derived from Bellenos, the Gallic sun god, and reflects Nicolas’s reverence for tradition. His innovative viticultural techniques have transformed Burgundy, enhancing ripeness and concentration, and inspiring a region-wide evolution in quality.

Founded in 2008, the emphasis at Roche de Bellene is on individual terroirs from vieilles vignes (old vines — 40 years or older) that are farmed responsibly. All of the growers that Nicolas works with are either certified organic or farming according to the principles of lutte raisonée (“sustainable viticulture”).

This enables Nicolas to consistently produce the expressive, terroir-driven style that is his vision. A pioneer of a great many things in the regions, his ground breaking viticultural techniques to improve ripeness and concentration have been adopted across the whole of Burgundy.

A significant proportion of the improved quality of wines and winemaking in the home of Pinot Noir is largely thanks to the Potel family.

A true master of that most prized aspect of Burgundian winemaking – an expression of individual terroir. Nicolas Potel was making 120 wines from 50 different appellations by the age of 33!

Prodigious talent has now been mixed with vast experience, and year-after-year Maison Roche de Bellene makes some of the most coveted wines in Burgundy.