LE GRAPPIN
Beaune, Burgundy
Le Grappin is the project of Emma and Andrew Nielson, an Anglo-Australian couple based in Burgundy. After five years of apprenticeship in California and New Zealand, they eventually found their way to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay mecca. Today, they operate their tiny micro-negociant out of Fanny Sabre’s old cellar inside the walled city of Beaune, just across the street from the town mayor’s office.
The basic thrust of Le Grappin is to produce single parcel wines from the Côte d’Or, Mâconnais, and Beaujolais with as little intervention as possible along the way. Although everything is made under the same roof, the wines are divided into two ranges: the Côte d’Or parcels comprise the Le Grappin Line, while the Beaujolais, Aligoté and Mâcon bottlings fall under the Du Grappin marque. Both are made with the same degree of care, quality, and attention, with the main difference – aside from terroir - being that the Du Grappin wines are seen more as Vins de Soif compared to the more intense and ageworthy Le Grappin.
The Nielsens go out of their way to do everything by hand in the vines and the cellar and look to maintain longstanding relationships with growers not only to ensure consistency, but also a trusting and long-sighted approach to farming. Instead of seeking out the most famous sites, they try their best to be guided by the inherent quality in each parcel. As Andrew says, “These parcels don't have to be famous, they just need to have something to say, and with care and attention in the vineyard and the winery, my job is to let them share their voice.”
This philosophy is put into practice by using little to no new oak, lots of whole cluster, indigenous yeasts, and only adding tiny amounts of sulphur, usually just before bottling. The wines are soulful, expressive, and vivacious. There is an upfront juiciness in all of the wines, but given a few hours or air, or even better, and few years of cellaring, they reveal a stunning complexity and expressiveness.
Domaine Overview
Name of Domaine: Le Grappin (Côte de Beaune) / Du Grappin (Mâcon + Beaujolais)
Year Founded: 2011
Location: Beaune, Burgundy
Name: Andrew & Emma Nielsen
First year at Domaine: 2011
Winemaking Style: Natural, low-fi
Total Holdings: varies, all negociant
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté, Gamay, Grenache
Average Vine Age: varies, usually around 50 years
Farming Practices: organic
Number of Workers: 2, with around 4 stagieres during harvest
Bottles produced/year: 40,000
