They say Newton experienced his epiphany when he saw an apple fall from the tree. For Andrew Nielsen, a restless Australian and marketing globetrotter, the "apple" came in the form of a bottle of Dujac Clos de la Roche in Los Angeles in 2006. That sip changed his life; he left behind advertising campaigns to immerse himself in the vineyards of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across the globe—California, New Zealand, Burgundy, Australia—until he founded, alongside his wife Emma, Le Grappin in 2011.
His philosophy was clear: to give a voice to the lesser-known corners of Burgundy, selecting small plots and working with absolute respect for the terroir. Spontaneous fermentations, minimal intervention, and gentle ageing to produce fresh, vibrant, and expressive wines that tell stories, not just vintages.
It is within this context that Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes was born, a wine that captures the essence of two adjacent plots at the southern end of the Beaune slope, beneath the legendary Clos des Mouches and next to the renowned Pommard climate. White soils rich in iron, rocky above and more clayey below.
The production is as meticulously crafted as a bespoke suit: night-harvested by hand and chilled, with only 5% destemmed and the rest whole clusters for native fermentation without SO₂. Gentle pigéage at the end, delicate pressing, and 18 months in used barrels of 300 to 500 litres. Everything concludes with a respectful bottling, unclarified and unfiltered, to preserve the wine's energy intact.
Le Grappin Beaune 1er Cru Boucherottes is a Pinot Noir with a silky texture, aromatic depth, and mineral undertones. A 1er Cru bearing the hallmark of Le Grappin: precision, elegance, and authenticity, yet with that rebellious spark that led Andrew to exchange his life for the vineyards.