2o16 pre-release offer If you follow us on social media you ll see that we ve recently celebrated Fête du Beaujolais at Noble Rot in London with our BojoNuvo being the star of the show. Beaujolais Nouveau is certainly not for everyone but, even more than the wine itself, we see its launch as a symbolic date when we can celebrate the years new wines and the effort that it took to complete the harvest and subsequent wine-making. For us it s the deadline to complete our main winemaking work and decisions for the current vintage 2017 and to bottle the previous 2016. When we arrive back in London with those two jobs done it is certainly cause for celebration and a big deep breath! So it s something of a harvest celebration. And in 2017 there had been a lot of work as we increased our production across Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Rhône by around 20%... not an insignificant amount of work! Despite the generally low yields across France in 2017, in Burgundy, it was the largest harvest we ve seen since we started Le Grappin in 2011. This was very welcome, especially once we share news about the 2016 vintage. We haven t added any new vineyards in the Côte d Or; by just taking the full yield of our six appellations our production has doubled compared to 2016! We are hopeful that the increased volumes will help create some new opportunities in the Côte d Or in 2018 either in terms of price adjustments (please!) and/or newly available grapes once domaines have restocked their cellars after so many low-yielding harvests. In the Beaujolais, news was up and down. We sadly lost our flagship Fleurie-Poncié vineyard to hail and there was some hail damage in most of our other plots requiring considerable time at the sorting table. The star was Côte-de-Brouilly and look out for our new Saint Amour. Andrew s project this year was a plot of old vine Aligoté, which we half fermented as whole clusters for 10 days and the rest was pressed straight to barrel. It was fun to work with a new grape and we re intrigued to see how it evolves in barrel. And so to the purpose of today s update; to tell you about our 2016 Burgundies and to give you the opportunity to purchase en primeur, in advance of their release next year. The frost that hit the Côte d Or on 26 April 2016 was really devastating. Indeed when we arrived at Dessus-les-Vermots, one of our two adjacent Savigny Blanc vineyards, we were shocked to tears; despite the reports from our grower we couldn t believe how extensive the damage was. Where there had been young shoots sending out leaves and growth, now almost everything was dead, in every direction, to every vine. It was a cruel natural event and after repeated years of challenging weather we still couldn t believe it. This was the vineyard where we first made wine in 2011 and very close to our hearts. We ended up making just 100 litres, which we packaged in keg for a couple of London s top restaurants, and there is none in bottle.
Mother Nature wasn t done with us yet. Extreme mildew pressure at flowering finished off what the frost began in our flagship vineyard, Beaune Premier Cru Les Grèves, which will be sad news to many of you too. Elsewhere only Saint Aubin and Santenay Gravières were spared the brunt. Yields were between 50-70% down for our two Pinot Noir parcels of Savigny-lès-Beaune Rouge and Beaune Premier Cru Boucherottes. the opportunity to benefit from a solid discount. On that front, we d encourage you not to delay. Firstly there is very little wine this year for example Savigny-lès-Beaune Rouge is only three of its normal seven to nine barrels and secondly our first tranche of fruit payments takes place at the end of December; if you know you want to buy we d much appreciate you jumping in straight away! The vintage seemed lost until late July and August when the sun finally came and dried everything out allowing the final weeks of growth to happen under much better conditions. Harvest began very late due to the frost from the end of September and into early October with the weather staying on our side. After a harrowing year, those last few weeks of sun did the trick; the grapes were healthy, ripe and nicely balanced. It was a pleasant surprise and a massive relief. After nine months in barrel for the whites and 12 months for the reds this story continued. We are very pleased with the resulting wines. Across the board the fruit, depth and acidity is well balanced and both reds and whites are showing really well. Thank you for your interest in our wines and wine-making. We love the opportunities we get to meet the people who collect and drink our wines, the emails you send and the social media messages. We are excited that you love what we do and we ll continue to ensure our energies are as exacting as ever! Best wishes. EMMA AND ANDREW There s also an updated vintage chart with recommended drinking windows for our vintages to-date many thanks to those of you who commented on how useful this was last year. And, as we advised several people, when we say drink now don t feel you have to but the wines are ready when you are! We shocked some loyal collectors who were worried about the number of drink now bottles in their cellars! On the last pages you ll find this years Pre Release offer which represents a 25% saving on what they ll retail for when the wines are released mid 2018. We pay for our fruit more than a year before any bottles are sold so this timing will be helping us with the 2017 vintage and gives you
2o16 saint aubin en l ebaupin blanc vineyard From a small vineyard above and behind the village of Saint Aubin as the slope starts facing westerly. Sharp shards of limestone poke out of a very white, chalky Argovian soil at the top of the vineyard, slowly merging into a iron-rich Callovian limestone from marl at the base of the slope. The fruit from the top is more mineral and acid driven, with grapes lower down giving richer, riper, fruit-driven character. Being westerly facing and tucked up towards the Hautes- Côte de Beaune, this is a late ripening site with old vines delivering classic Saint Aubin aromatics, flavours and verve. vinification Hand-picked, foot-crushed and pressed without SO 2 for five hours and allowed to brown overnight. The juice was fed oxygen in the morning and racked with the best of the bourbe (grape solids) to a 400L and a 300L barrel for a fermentation by indigenous yeasts at ambient temperature (no temperature regulation) with no SO 2. Aged on full lies for nine months, unstirred and lightly sulphured in the Spring, followed by a month in tank on light lies for focus and freshness. Unfined and just lightly filtered, bottled under DIAM 10. tasting note Ripe citrus, orange oils, stone-fruits and under-notes of smoke. Like a baby brother to the 2014, same focus, energy and drive, yet at the same time not as tightly wound and will show its charms earlier. Lots of texture, grip and tension. barrels made: 3 894 bottles price: 195 /6-pack ttc We believe that texture is an important part of what makes white Burgundy so beguiling and this starts with how we treat the grapes. We foot-crush the grapes in their picking cases, leaving them to soak and oxidise for an hour or so before foot-crushing them further in our vertical press before pressing. We are big believers in oxidative handling of the juice and we will even inject pure O2 to accelerate browning. This leads to a brighter wine, with clear definition of fruit, aromatic purity, and of course, texture.
2o16 santenay premier cru les grav i è res blanc vineyard From a 40 year old parcel of Chardonnay on Argovian white limestone, a rarity in Santenay, where the Bajocian red soil of the Côte de Nuits, which reappears in Chassagne to the north, reigns supreme. Argovian marl, terre blanche, is the classic soil for Chardonnay in Burgundy, and these vines were planted at a time when Santenay vineyards were almost entirely Pinot Noir. A forward thinking viticulteur indeed! vinification Hand-picked and slowly pressed. The juice was chilled and oxidised in tank for 24 hours and then racked to two 300L and a 400L barrel with plently of oxygen for an ambient fermentation (no temperature regulation) by indigenous yeasts. Aged on full lies, without stirring or Spring racking, for nine months with an extra month in tank on light lies for focus and freshness. Unfined and lightly filtered, bottled under DIAM 10. tasting note Gravières is the beast of our lineup and 2016 is no exception. Big, broad, with aromatics of ripe stone-fruits, melon, and just a touch of le matchstick. Crunchy acid and our signature phenolic grip tames the wine. Very Santenay, Very Gravières. barrels made: 4 1 2 o1 b ot t l e s price: 219 /6-pack ttc One of the things we splashed out on in 2016 was a new vertical basket press our 90 year-old wooden version found a new home with a collective of next- wave nano-négociants. Vertical pressing is key to our wine making style. With whites, the grapes themselves act like a coarse filter, leading to a clear juice with a very light solid fraction; just the fluffies as Aaron, our assistant winemaker this harvest would say. For reds, the tannin extraction is lighter compared with a pneumatic press, as the wine leaves perpendicular to the pressure being applied, skins aren t being ripped nor are seeds crushed, leading to brighter and softer tannins. Sometimes the old methods really are better.
2o16 sav igny les beaune rouge vineyard From a 60-year-old parcel in my favourite villages climat for Pinot Noir in Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aux Fournaux. With the vineyard being located at the base of the slope, which provides better sunlight interception and drainage than most villages parcels in Savigny-lès-Beaune, the wine has fine definition and weight for a villages appellation wine. Aux Fournaux is also at the junction with Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton, with racy fruits from the former and rocky tannins from the later. A very complex villages site! vinification Hand picked and sorted for over nine hours to ensure only the best fruit made it to the fermenter. 50% of the grapes were destemmed with the remaining 50% placed on top as whole cluster in a wooden vat under cover of CO 2 with no SO 2 on the fruit. Dry ice was used to cool the fruit to 13ºC and to protect the berries against oxidation during pre-ferment maceration. A natural fermentation started on the sixth day with a short pump-over on the first four days of fermentation to help the yeast multiply. The must was then basket pressed on the 14 th day of cuvaison. The must finished fermentation in tank, settled off gross lies for two weeks in tank before 11 months in one, two and three year-old barrels from Tonnellerie Chassin and Tonnellerie Minier. Racked under air pressure and settled for two weeks in tank before being bottled under a DIAM 10 closure without fining or filtration. tasting note Bright red fruits, think wild strawberry and red-currants, floral, very perfumed. Mouth feel is crisp and pure, soft with a crunchy acid/tannin balance that makes the mouth salivate. One for those who think Burgundy is about aromatics not hedonism. Our most restrained yet aromatically-dense Savigny to date. barrels made: 3 829 bottles price: 186 /6-pack ttc Sorting fruit is a very key part of our winemaking. We are known for the crazy hours put in at the table during harvest. For us this is the step that allows us to make our pure, transparent style of reds. Since we don t use SO2 on the grapes, nor do much cap manipulation, save for a short aerating pump-over if the yeast demand it, it is essential that no sub-par berries make it into the fermenter. A pure style, while highlighting the complex aromatics of Burgundy, also hides no flaws. Our record is 16 hours to do one tonne of Beaune 1 er Cru Boucherottes in 2014! Eeep!
2o16 beaune premier cru boucherottes rouge vineyard From two contiguous parcels, one a 44 year old selection massale planting, the other a 26 yearold selection clonale, at the southern end of the Beaune Premier Cru slope below the famous vineyard of Clos des Mouches and next to Pommard s grand climat Les Epenots. vinification Hand picked and sorted for over eight hours to ensure only the best fruit made it to the fermenter. 50% of the grapes were destemmed with the remaining 50% placed on top as whole cluster in a wooden vat under cover of CO 2 with no SO 2 on the fruit. The grapes were chilled to 12ºC using dry ice, which as well as cooling the grapes, saturates the juice with CO 2, thus helping protect against oxidation of fruit flavours. A natural ferment commenced after six days with three short aerating pump-overs during the fermentation and four light pigèages to release the last sugars from the grapes as the wine approached dryness. Pressed in our vertical press the 14 th day after picking, the wine spent two weeks in tank before spending 11 months in a new 300L barrel from Tonnellerie Dargaud & Jaëgle and a mix of one to five-year-old barrels. Racked under air pressure and settled for two weeks in tank before being bottled under a DIAM 10 closure without fining or filtration. tasting note Baked blue fruits dark cherry, blackberry, blueberry fruit notes, with earthy undertones; very Pommard-esque in aromatic profile. Super silky and bright in the mouth, pure and bright, crunchy acid/mineral finish; true Burgundian power with weightlessness. barrels made: 7 2128 bottles price: 243 /6-pack ttc Wines almost always taste best in barrel and an underrated aspect of winemaking is how to preserve as much of that prettiness and freshness in the bottle as possible. We believe that racking close to bottling, usually around 14 days before, is a key component. Since we don t fine nor filter, it is essential our racking is very clear and bright. Here you can see us racking via the broquereau using air pressure; the first puff of lies and we stop; the remaining wine will serve as the next vintage s toppings. This is an old technique, used with a modern understanding of preparing wine for bottling; that enables us to preserve our bright, pure, mineral style all the way to the glass.
can i drink them yet? A question that we are often asked is when to drink our wines. The short answer is whenever you would like! Life is short and there is always another vintage. The longer answer is that we are still learning along with you. Wines, especially those made in a low intervention way, open and close all the time; they are living things. That being said, we get to taste these wines more frequently than you might and we are receiving feedback from importers, restaurants and customers on how they are drinking. Thus we thought we would put together a rough should you open this one or not list? The list is not bullet-proof, like we said they are living things, but we feel that those we list as hold will offer more in the future than they do now, and if possible should be left alone in favour of a Drink. Hold/Drink with a decant means we would be inclined to leave it longer (but if you must ), Drink/Hold means you can drink them now with pleasure but further cellaring will have it s rewards in complexity too. All wines we have marked Drink will reward further ageing too; don t panic please! Also, please feel very free to contact us at any time for real-time guidance in which bottle to pop and to share your insights on a bottle to help us with next years table. 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc Savigny-lès-Beaune Rouge / WITH A DECANT Beaune 1er Cru "Les Grèves" - Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes" - / WITH A DECANT Santenay 1er Cru "Les Gravières" - - / WITH A DECANT Saint Aubin "En L'Ebaupin" - - -
about our labels The extremely talented Louise Despont, and future art-world star, created the beautiful artwork for our front label. Using drafting tools, she creates intricate geometric drawings on antique ledger paper. Her works draw from a very diverse set of influences; hinduism, architecture, astronomy, and literature and have a beautiful, subtle symmetry to them. Using only very simple shapes, circles and triangles, she builds incredibly intricate, yet subtle motifs. Her work is very layered, in composition and in meaning. This piece is her interpretation of our vision for Le Grappin. Harnessing the energies of the season, the vine and the individual terroirs to make wines of place and soul.
other options to try our wines 2o16 sampler pack 2 x 2016 Saint Aubin En L Ebaupin Blanc 1 x 2016 Santenay Premier Cru Les Gravières Blanc 1 x 2016 Savigny-lès-Beaune Rouge 2 x 2016 Beaune Premier Cru Boucherottes Rouge price: 214 /6-pack ttc 2o16 mixed whites 3 x 2016 Saint Aubin En L Ebaupin Blanc 3 x 2016 Santenay Premier Cru Les Gravières Blanc price: 2o7 /6-pack ttc 2o16 mixed reds 3 x 2016 Savigny-lès-Beaune Rouge 3 x 2016 Beaune Premier Cru Boucherottes Rouge price: 215 /6-pack ttc
p r e-r eleas e pr ices per s ix pack ttc 2016 Saint Aubin En L Ebaupin Blanc 195 2016 Santenay 1 er Cru Les Gravières Blanc 219 2016 Savigny-lès-Beaune Rouge 186 2016 Beaune 1 er Cru Boucherottes Rouge 243 2016 Sampler Pack 214 2016 Mixed Whites 207 2016 Mixed Reds 215 how to order? 1. Email salut@legrappin.com with your order 2. Visit our Online Order Form here Pre-Release Pricing is valid until 22 January, at which time prices will increase by 25%. Wines will be available for collection or delivery in Summer 2018.