Aviron, Chauvet and Herody - not a French law firm but the three key mentors of Burgundy winemaker and negociant Nicolas Potel.
Burgundy's southern neighbour, Beaujolais, is one of the world's top five producing regions, according to Potel, and one where he would like to make wine himself. As he and his team of two other winemakers in Burgundy - Domaine de Bellene and Maison Roche de Bellene - already produce between 70 and 80 wines a year, he has gone into partnership with Stephane Aviron, famed for making Beaujolais wines that can be cellared, as opposed to the types of Beaujolais that are consumed immediately and generally have a poor reputation.
The Potel-Aviron brand was created in 1999 and the first harvest was in 2000. Although Potel likes the wines, he is not trying to grow the brand, simply because he doesn't have enough time.
Aviron makes his wine from grapes grown in soil that has far more minerals than most in the region. He and Potel share a determination to grow grapes in the correct terroir. For Potel this is a mix of clay and limestone ideal for growing Burgundy's famous pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. The influence of French geologist Dr Yves Herody is evident. His work promotes the idea that terroir is 'everything' to a good wine - the type of soil, exposure, altitude and root stock.
Potel abandoned a potentially lucrative venture in Chile because the other partners rejected buying an inconveniently located property that both the winemaker and geologist felt had the optimum terroir.
Potel's wines have a typical Burgundian elegance and subtlety, characteristics reinforced by their relatively low alcohol content.