Maison Potel-Aviron Chenas Vieilles Vignes 2011

Wine Type:
Style of Wine:	Smooth & Silky
Country of Origin:	France
Wine Region:	Beaujolais
Appellation:	Morgon
Grape Varietal:	Gamay
Bottle Format:	750mL
Case Size:	12 bottles
$335.40 Per Case ($27.95/btl) This is a special order item

Tasting Notes

Nicholas Potel and Stephane Aviron have continued their joint Beaujolais project (begun in 2000) even after the departure of Potel with Maison Nicolas Potel, which has prevented him (at least pending litigation) from using his name on any new negociant venture or for his own domaine. (Potel launched the new boutique Domaine & Negociant; Maison Roche de Bellene and Domaine de Bellene immediately after his departure.)

Potel- Aviron
It’s amazing how distinctive and consistent is the style and vineyard character of each of these cask-matured Beaujolais, as witness my having found myself tapping so many of the same descriptors (without peaking, I assure you!) that I trotted out to review the 2007s and 2006s in issues 184 and 178. As a group, these wines offer excellent value even by the high standards of price-quality rapport that prevail among top Beaujolais growers and negociants. Since I did not get a chance to visit with either partner this spring and none of their 2010s had yet arrived stateside, I’ll have to cover those along with the Potel-Aviron 2011s in next year’s Beaujolais report. Wine Advocate # 196

Wine Advocate Tasting note from Erobertparker.com
"Tallow, bacon fat, and beef marrow accompany the ripe but ultimately stimulatingly tart-edged plum and cherry on both the nose and admirably juicy mid-palate of Potel-Aviron’s 2010 Morgon Cote de Py Vieilles Vignes. The concentration of fruit and carnal underpinnings here culminates in a finish resembling fresh, pit-inflected cherry and savory, saline roast meat pan scrapings. A faint tannic roughness from the previously used barriques in which this matured slightly diminishes the stock of juicy fresh fruit in the finish, but this should perform well through at least 2015. (Yes, it’s more tannic than its immediate siblings but that alone does not enhance longevity.)

Critical Praise

"Deep ruby. Intense, floral-inflected aromas of cherry and black raspberry, with a lively mineral quality emerging with aeration. Fresh, sharply focused red and dark berry flavors stain the palate, with suave floral pastille and star anise accents contributing complexity. A smoky nuance comes up on the finish, which clings with excellent tenacity. I'd bet on this wine rewarding at least another five years of patience."