Potel Nicolas

1997 Potel Nicolas Echézeaux

By billn on June 30, 2010

I’d brought a bottle of this for us to enjoy as a mark of Nicolas’s first production vintage under his own name (the few 1996s were bottlings of finished wine). Sadly it had some cork-related taint. I didn’t spot while tasting those wines above that Nicolas had arranged to get a replacement from his own stock. ”What a baby!’ was his reaction when he sniffed it. I found good freshness to the aromas; some earth, herbs and a dark fruit component. Lots of width and a good texture. A wine to savour, and yes, still a baby!

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1997 Potel Nicolas Volnay

By on April 30, 2009 #asides

A medium-plus core of ruby-red colour. The nose starts a little dense and unyielding, only slowly and partially opening to give a tense, brooding red cherry impression against fainter savoury elements, perhaps hinting at brett. In the mouth this is silkily textured, still with a grain to the background tannin. The acidity is not perfectly seamless in the mid-palate, but makes your mouth gently water. In the mid-palate there’s a very impressive concentration of clean and tasty fruit that does have a small burst of additional dimension. A good finish. This wine has only very slowly opened in the last couple of years and I would say it needs another couple of years to start drinking well, I’m just a little concerned about that bretty element on the nose. A successful ‘97.

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1997 Potel Nicolas Volnay

By on June 30, 2008 #asides

Quite deeply coloured ruby-red and starting to gain a shade of amber at the rim. Wide, slightly ethereal aromatics with a submerged but dense core of darker fruit – very interesting. The full palate shows plenty of fine background tannin that’s edged with a little bitterness. There’s just enough acidity and the flavour lingers very well, hinting to cream – there was a slightly green cedary phase but then it was gone. A very fine 97 and a better drink than the d’Angerville 99 from yesterday.

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1997 Potel Nicolas Volnay Vieilles Vignes

By on February 28, 2006 #asides

Highly rated by Coates on release this wine tightened up and hid it’s charms very soon afterwards – most bottles were disappointing until last year when it looked like it might be turning the corner. Today it shows a medium-plus ruby-red colour. Cool, the nose is imbued with a hint of roast coffee and faint plum. As it warms, high-toned red berry fruit and red-currant is released. The palate gives a ripe impression, but still manages to serve-up sour cherry with a caramel edged finish. Still on the up, without a doubt the best bottle from this case.

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1997 Potel Nicolas Volnay Vieilles Vignes

By on October 31, 2004 #asides

One bottle per year since release and to-date plenty of disappointments – I think I’ve another 7 or 8 left. The first bottle lived up to the original Clive Coates review, all the others were dumb – most unlike the 1997 – perhaps with this wine we’ve turned the corner. Despite a slightly musty note (presumably cork derived but not counted as corked) on the nose and palate, at last we have a wine with personality! The colour is deep and shows little advancement. Powdery red fruit over a slightly ‘dirty’ background. The palate at last shows some interest with dense, even monolithic, red fruit that shows raspberry and strawberry notes. The acidity is good and the finish is also showing much better, slightly creamy extension. Still a year or two away from it’s drinking window, but I’m feeling much better about the original purchase…

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1997 Potel Nicolas Clos de la Roche

By on February 29, 2004 #asides

A medium-plus ruby-red, right up to the rim. The nose shows plenty of red cherry covering a deeper base of solid fruit and just a trace of secondary scents. Super intensity as you draw air through the wine, the fruit just shaded towards red. The tannins are in the background and there’s a lovely texture to the wine. Very long, but the finish is initially spoiled by an awkward showing to the acidity – but I think this must have been the cheese I was tasting (Sbrinz) as one espresso later, everything was fine. A very good and relatively young wine which improve over several years.

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1997 Potel Nicolas Echézeaux

By on October 31, 2003 #asides

Very deep ruby colour right to the rim. The nose is a little earthy, supporting black cherries and a savoury, meaty note. The palate is sweet, showing refreshing acidity and medium, drying tannins. The mainly black fruit has lovely concentration – blackberry being dominant and slightly roasted in character – and sustains a very long finish. Perhaps the oak is still making the palate slightly harsh, but frankly this has excellent potential and needs all of 4 or 5 years before it really starts to drink well.

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1997 Potel Nicolas Volnay Vieilles Vignes

By on October 31, 2003 #asides

Medium, perhaps medium-plus ruby, but no colour development and only a little lighter at the rim. The nose shows nice raspberry but predominantly redcurrant with a little red cherry. Silky, fat palate with tannins that come through late on the finish. The acidity is almost good, helping the length somewhat. A wine I’ve tasted 3 times in the last year and each time it leaves me with the feeling I’ve wasted another bottle due to the excellent base material but very tight presentation. Will probably be very good, and I promise not to open another for at least 2 year

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1997 Potel Nicolas Volnay Vieilles Vignes

By on February 28, 2003 #asides

Medium ruby colour. Nose of raspberry and red cherry. Furry tannin and reasonable acidity coupled with lovely depth of red fruits. The finish lasts well. Very good. January 2002

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