Twitter is a wonderful social media platform.
Not only did it allow us #SgWine crew to meet Andrew Nielsen (@legrappin) 2 years ago, it let me on to a tasting session of Le Grappin wines, held on 20-Jan at Caveau Wines + Bar.
It’s a good opportunity to finally taste the wines Andrew made, so Mr X (@X_deadfall & @WineXin), Chris (@SingaPoured) and myself made our way there to see how the wines rate.
By the time I left work to arrive at Caveau, Andrew had already led the tasting through his 2 whites and a red, and going into his Beaune 1er cru. After the short led-tasting by Andrew, all the guests were set free to taste (or re-taste) all the wines on offer.
[The following tasting notes are combinations of Chris’ and mine…]
2012 Savigny les Beaune blanc
Nose: floral, nutty
Palate: mineral, zesty, citrus, some roundness
Overall: good acid backbone, nice supple finish
2012 Beaune 1er cru “Les Grèves” blanc
Nose: restrained at first, becoming expressive with blossoms
Palate: more blossoms, slight nuttiness
Overall: steely acid, more complex than the Savigny
2012 Savigny les Beaune rouge
(whole bunch fermentation)
Nose: leafy in a good way, slight smokiness
Palate: saline mineralty, savoury, more meaty than fruity, raspberry
Overall: nice subtle oak, lovely acid, good finish
2012 Beaune 1er cru “Les Boucherottes”
(notable winemaker’s comment: more punch down)
Nose: cherries galore! complexity up, light oak
Palate: red fruits, some dark fruits
Overall: lovely structure, fine tannins, good acid, longer supple finish
We were suitably impressed with the wines of Le Grappin. Andrew had worked hard with the vignerons to improve the quality of the fruit, himself spending a lot of time in the vineyards. Chris and I really liked the Savigny les Beaune blanc, more so than the Beaune 1er cru blanc. However, for me, the Beaune 1er cru “Les Boucherottes” was undoubtedly the star of the show – a really enjoyable and complex wine.
It was good for Mr X and I to catch up with Andrew again, and for Chris to meet the man for the first time. Andrew spoke about his plans to add new wines to his portfolio, and how he goes about looking for new plots of vines to work with.
It definitely sounds like it has been a labourious but rewarding journey for Andrew, and his wife Emma. We at #SgWine wishes the couple the best as they look forward to their fourth vintage in 2014!
Related:
– Our 1st time meeting Andrew Nielsen
– My weekend in Beaune with Le Grappin
Cheers~!
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