Le Grappin makes wine in Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Rhône

A little bell rang when I saw Le Grappin at Haut les Mains, a wine event in Burgundy. Where did I know this from? Suddenly it clicked: I was drinking a glass of Santenay Les Gravières Blanc for the first time. Noble Rot . Years ago. Some producers you never forget, you know. Yet, I haven't heard much from them in the years that followed. Unfortunately (and strangely!), they haven't really made it to the Netherlands yet.

This needs to change, because Le Grappin might just be the new voice of Burgundy—or rather, of all of France. Andrew Nielsen, an Australian, and his wife Emma, originally from the United Kingdom, aren't limited by region. They make wine in the Côte d'Or, but also in Maçon, Beaujolais, and the Rhône. The wines from the Côte d'Or are marketed under the Le Grappin label, while the rest are sold as Du Grappin.

Le Grappin & Du Grappin

Andrew learned his craft at Felton Road in New Zealand and Simon Bize in Savigny-lès-Beaune, among others. It was at Bize that he became captivated by the various terroirs of the northern Côte de Beaune that were essentially neglected (or underutilized). He decided to become a micro-négociant, selecting and bottling special parcels separately, thus telling the story of these often-overlooked terroirs.

A nearly impossible task, as it requires a lot of work, time, and therefore money. On a large scale, this isn't feasible, and even on a small scale, it's a challenge. To finance this, Andrew and Emma are taking a creative approach. They earn their living by making vin de soif – easy-drinking wines packaged in sustainable 1.5-liter "bagnums." These wines are ideal for immediate consumption and allow them to afford the precision and care required for Le Grappin.

Taste the sum

I tasted their Bulles, a sparkling wine made from their own Aligoté grapes and Pinot Noir, which they source from Vin Noé (the man behind Haut Les Mains). The wine is deliciously sparkling with a soft, delicate mousse.

The Macon Village 2022 was a real surprise, with remarkable freshness and minerality for this appellation (it reminded me of the Guffens-Heynen Pouilly-Fuissé we served at the Bourgogne Les Blancs tasting). Andrew uses oxidation of the must here to avoid the need for sulfites later.

The Monthélie 22 Les Toisières, a plot just across from Meursault, was also impressive: still very young, but with a seductive creaminess and the freshness of lemon zest. The Savigny-les-Beaune 2022 comes from 60-year-old vines and is, in a word, graceful. Plenty of cherries, raspberries, a touch of salt, but also pepper, and very refined tannins.

The 2022 Cinsault comes from a high-altitude vineyard in the Southern Rhône and is made in the Tavel style. The wine is soft, with a light warmth reminiscent of South Africa. The 2022 Fleurie Poncié has everything you want from gamay: earthy, violet, granite, and berry. Poncié is one of the plots in Fleurie that might one day—though such changes take centuries in France—become a premier cru .

Le Grappin continues to surprise me, and that's exactly what good wine should do. It leaves me wanting more. I hope I encounter them again soon.