Hey Everyone,
Today I am writing to you in the aftermath of a tasting conducted by my good friend and longtime Colleague, Mr. Peter Wood (www.thetastingnote.com). Peter has always had a true knack for identifying future sources of excitement in wine and his most recent achievement is perhaps his most intriguing to date. Burgundy has always had a sonorous resonance in it's very name and with the land parcelled out and much of it spoken for by various domaines, cooperatives and large negociants, it is rare that something new and exciting comes along.
There was a time when Frederic Mugnier was the cause of great excitement, with wines stunningly over-performing for their price, but of course when the word gets out, a well kept secret becomes a part of the status quo of excellent, and appropriately priced wines. That is why the rise of a new producer in Burgundy, snatching up the best grapes in Savigny-le-Beaune is exciting for anyone looking for a good bargain that is sure to attract attention in the very near future.
Le Grappin, from Australian winemaker Andrew Nielsen is living proof that the wine world is never exhausted, never done throwing out surprises, and with his wines focused on the excellent, underrated terroirs of Savigny's vineyards he is quickly turning heads. Producing a minuscule amount of wine each year (sometimes as little as two barrels!) he only makes what he is sure will be phenomenal.
Negociants like Mr. Nielsen are often larger companies that will happily purchase grapes from a large plot of land, ensuring their supply and the flexibility to sort the best grapes from the lot. Andrew however, will go into the vineyard and select such small parcels of grapes, that it often comes down to a question of rows or vines, rather than vineyards or blocks. Combine this highly selective process with the quality of vineyards such as le Boucherottes and Grèves (both proven premier cru sites) and you have a recipe for a truly exceptional wine.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Grappin range is that he never overcharges for his wines. At least not yet. He produces his basic level Savigny red and white wines and they sell for around £30 per bottle. It is enough to emphasise the quality of the wine, but not enough to put off the enthusiastic wine lovers who want a reasonablly priced bottle to cellar for a few years and drink on a special occasion. However, it is the premier cru wines where the value becomes truly apparent. both the red from Boucherottes and a rare example of a white from Grèves generally sell for only a few pounds more than the entry level. The result? Wines capable of facing the test of time in the cellar and rewarding careful storage with what is almost certain to be sublime stuff in maturity.
As it stands now, his wines are often bottled and released in the space of a few weeks, leaving the bottle maturation to the customer, but hopefully as his business becomes as strong as his wines we will see them released later with more bottle age. For now, you should defintely get your hands on his wines as quickly as you can because they won't stay at £30 for long!
Much Love,
G
