The 1996 vintage marked a milestone in the history of the Belland estate because pere Adrien officially retired and the domaine took the name of his son, Jean-Claude Belland. In fact, the two have been working together for many years and the succession brings no changes in the estate itself. With respect to the winemaking, beginning with the 1996 vintage, Adrien and Jean-Claude have been working towards a richer, less tannic style over the last few years and have stopped filtering most of the wines. Their holdings range from Santenay to Chambertin. The Santenay AC and Premier Crus Les Gravieres and Comme are intensely flavored, complex wines that represent fine value. The three majestic Corton Grands Crus – Clos de la Vigne au Saint, Greves and Perrieres – come from the finest sites on the Corton hill. The Aloxe Corton, made from 40 years old vines, can also pass for a grand cru given its massive quality. The Belland’s prize parcels are his Corton Charlemagne and Chambertin, each about one third of a hectare.
The Bellands look for concentrated, expressive long lasting wines. As Remington Norman writes in his book The Great Domaines of Burgundy: the Belland estate is “a long-established Domaine making wine of exceptional quality, apparently still largely unrecognized. Don’t miss out: this is one of Burgundy’s greatest estates."