Le Grappin – 2019

31.12.2020billn

Andrew Nielsen 2020 Le GrappinTasted with Andrew Nielsen in Beaune, 06 October, 2020.

Le Grappin
12 Rue Oudot
21200 Beaune
www.legrappin.com
More reports for Le Grappin

Andrew on 2020:
It was a normal harvest of about 21 days. I think 2020 shows less of the sun than we can see in the 2019 wines. I was really worried about micro-biological issues with shrivelled grapes, so I made pied-de-cuve and got thongs fermenting pretty quickly.

Andrew on 2019:
The reds being tough to finish their fermentations is an obvious memory – not unlike 2018 – but it’s always a chore when you have high alcohols and native yeasts.

Andrew recently lost a couple of Santenay wines – Gravières in both colours – as the domaine that supplied him was sold.

The wines…

What an impressive set of wines – and in both colours too. Almost all the whites were tending towards the oxidative – but only ‘tending’ – it was only the stage of the elevage and nothing to worry about. Such consistency of drinkable but not facile wine from this producer. Bravo!

All the wines had a summer sulfur, after malo, but nothing else at the time I tasted:

2019 Savigny-lès-Beaune
Already 10 years with this wine. There’s lighter extraction today than in the early years.
Silky red fruit – thats a great aromatic invitation. Full, concentrated layers of flavour. Some finishing structure but balanced with a little interesting and very tasty complexity. That will be wonderful Savigny villages.
2019 Santenay 1er Gravières
Perfumed red fruit – a super invitation. A faint extra depth of structure, acid-cherry flavoured but broad, deliciously lip-smacking flavour in the finish – young but no shame to drink this young – bravo.

2019 Beaune 1er Boucherottes
Fuller, wider, fresh fruit – perfumed. There’s a lot of wc here but honestly, it’s hard to see today. Big, fresh, less accommodating on the palate than the nose – wait for this (you should) here the flavour of the wc is more visible, great finishing. Be patient, the 12 of this was tight for a while but is undeniably great now…

And to compare:

2018 Beaune 1er Boucherottes
All wc, picked as early as the owner would allow!
Hmm, there’s a concentration here, a little extra richness of aroma but still very balanced. Big, whole-cluster-infused flavour, layered – richer, more mouth-filling than the 2019. That’s a big but nicely energetic and deliciously flavoured wine. I have a preference for the sleeker 2019, but it’s damn good all the same…

Les blancs…

2019 Bourgogne Aligoté
Bottled 3 months. 90-year-old vines in the heights of Roche-Vineuse, normally comes in at 11° this year 13!
This has a compact nose. The flavour widens and widens over the palate. A waterfall of flavour, very faintly oxidative in style but completely delicious again. Excellent wine.

2019 ​Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc
Above the village, direction Bouilland
That’s big, slightly creamy, almost a big hug of a nose. Vibrant again, almost electric energy, a creamy barrel impression in the complexity. Bravo!

2019 St.Aubin En la Beau Pins
A long sloping vineyard, west-sloping – a lot of cool air here. Super-late picked – it’s not far from Hautes Côtes – 12.5°
A forward, friendly, slightly cushioned nose. More driving, narrower, more citrus-infused flavour – ooh, that’s so good…

2019 Monthelie Blanc
Organic since 2012 but actually certified only in 20.
Hmm, more cushioned again. Vibrant once more, but with a depth of flavour, creamy accented but with energy. This I love – bravo.
2019 Santenay 1er Les Gravières Blanc
On white soil, from 45-year-old vines. The last two barrels…
The cleanest, freshest nose. A hint reductive in this case, energy, more minerality. That has such a super line – my new favourite.

2019 Beaune 1er Grèves Blanc
Silky, almost waxy, faintly mineral. Hmm, volume, structure, open, really back-end-loaded with flavour – such a complex and delicious depth of finishing flavour – if the first palate fills out to match what comes after, it will be an automatic buy.

And to finish, a change of style:

2019 Beaujolais ‘Nature’
A big nose of welcoming red-fruited freshness. Mineral, beautifully structured. Perfect BJ, nature or otherwise. Long and completely delicious. Bravo!

2018 Fleurie Poncie
Actually, Hautes Poncie. The neighbouring vines here are Moulin à Vent
Lots of colour. A nose of graphite and freshness. Some pyrazine perfume blends with the graphite. Mouth-filling, fresh and tasty. A great finish here…

2020 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
Plenty of colour. A big bright freshness of aroma – crunchy dark fruit attractiveness. Hmm, driving, fresh-flavoured wine. What more can you ask for?

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There is one response to “Le Grappin – 2019”

  1. grahamfarrant2nd January 2021 at 2:07 pmPermalinkReply

    I can only agree with your notes on the Aligote from Andrew and Emma. Totally delicious and I have already drunk what I bought and have ordered more.

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