More Burgundy...Amitié Wines with Le Grappin

We are honored to announce that Amitié Wines will be representing Le Grappin, an artisan vinificateur out of Savigny-lés-Beaune in the Cote d’Or. Andrew Nielsen, of Le Grappin has lovingly created two exceptional wines that are the product of tireless work in the vineyards and incredible efforts during vendages. Andrew’s philosophy of using a combination of reverence to 2000 years of local traditions combined with the expertise of modern techniques has created an exceptional Savigny-lés-Beaune rouge and blanc. Price: will be $35.95 + tax/shipping
Order: Through our website www.amitiewines.com, using the coupon code “Berserkers” (no quotes).

This will be for a pre-arrival, orders arriving this spring.

Savigny les Beaune Blanc:
From a forty year old selection massale plot and a twenty year old selection clonal plot up high above the village. Steep slopes give the vines good sunlight interception while the thin soil and cool breezes that come down the valley keep the wines tense and mineral. In 2011, some fruit from a seventy year old plot of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté (as was typical of the time it was planted) was also harvested, resulting in a final blend of 90% Chardonnay, 6% Pinot Blanc and 4% Aligoté.
http://www.amitiewines.com/winemakers/le-grappin/le-grappin-2011-savigny-les-beaune-blanc/

Savigny les Beaune Rouge:
From a 60 year old plot in Aux Fournaux, a vineyard at the base of the Bois Noël slope. A special site that is half 1er Cru and half Villages, with the rows traversing the two. It also finds itself at the junction of Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton which adds an extra layer of complexity to the fruit. From Pernand, a racy element and from Aloxe a certain rockiness to the tannins, which balance the Savigny “sappiness”
well. My favourite villages site in Savigny, if only I could find more.
http://www.amitiewines.com/winemakers/le-grappin/le-grappin-2011-savigny-les-beaune-rouge/

Thank you Todd, and everyone who has ordered! Only ~4 cases each, left of both the blanc and rouge.

It’s also fellow WBer Andrew Nielsen’s bday today (Le Grappin’s winemaker/owner). BerserkerDay is a fitting way to celebrate.

Thanks Jason and Todd! I am really excited to be part of BerserkerDay. I have great memories of FallTaculars at FMIII’s and it has been lovely meeting those of you who have made it to Burgundy and looked me up. My doors are always open if you do pass through and I am always happy to answer any questions about my wines.

Le-Grappin-Savigny-les-Beaune-650.jpg
There’s a couple cases of each left. Be sure to check out the white - it’s exceptional!

Beautiful labels! [cheers.gif]

My good buddy Jason is a stand up guy - buy with confidence from Amitie wines! Can’t wait to taste the wines Andrew - CHEERS.

Coupon has expired. :frowning:

Shouldn’t have I’ll have it fixed.

Any problems with the coupon, please email me directly Jason.berry@amitiewines.com or call 858-353-5055.

YAY! It works! Thanks! [dance-clap.gif]

No, thank you! Sorry that was an issue and sorry if it was an issue for anyone else.

Joys of technology.

Jason
www.amitiewines.com

I agree, Andrew did a great job with commissioning the artist who created the label. Very cool, especially the story behind it with Mother Nature working through the winemaker etc.

In an ode to my roots, and since there has been some traffic from there, I’ll offer free shipping to any towns in the old (when i played sports in high school) Wisconsin South Central Conference: which includes Baraboo, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, Mauston, Reedsburg and Tomah. :slight_smile:

Bump… Someone buy more of this before I have to dive in deep :astonished:).

That is a sweet label!

Tell me more about the Blanc - I’m headed to CT to check for notes now

I’ll keep the deal open till tonight.

I like both wines a lot, not just saying that, but I LOVE the blanc. It needs a little air, but after open a couple hours it hits it’s peak and stays there, for over a day. I like the Le Grappin blanc so much it is what I took to Addison for my birthday dinner a couple weeks ago.

Todd, here’s a link to our website product page:

http://www.amitiewines.com/shop/le-grappin-2011-savigny-les-beaune-blanc/

Tasting note:
Green almonds, white flowers and pear dominate the nose. Tension and nervousness pull the concentrated body together towards zesty and stony finish.

186 cases made

“Lovely silky width on the palate. Vivacity and good flavour with an extra dimension of flavour in the mid-palate – even a faint impression of tannin too – lovely stuff.” -Bill Nanson, The Burgundy Report

“My vision for Le Grappin is to seek out special sites in the over-looked, under-appreciated reaches of Burgundy, that tell a story. I search out viticulteurs as maniacal as me, who tend their vines throughout the year, who know their sites and how best to make the site shine. My job is to ensure the wine reaches it’s true potential, working by hand, with small lots, giving each wine as much care and attention as my viticulteurs have paid to the vines. I believe one finds a sense of detail, purity, and focus in my wines as a result. I hope you enjoy the stories my wines have to tell.” – Andrew Nielsen, Le Grappin


VINEYARDS
From a forty year old selection massale plot and a twenty year old selection clonal plot up high above the village. Steep slopes give the vines good sunlight interception while the thin soil and cool breezes that come down the valley keep the wines tense and mineral. In 2011, some fruit from a seventy year old plot of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté (as was typical of the time it was planted) was also harvested, resulting in a final blend of 90% Chardonnay, 6% Pinot Blanc and 4% Aligoté.
FARMING
Vines are tended by hand under an organic regime. Cane pruned. Bud thinned to a balanced yield depending on the season. Soils are tilled regularly until veraison. Vines are triaged to remove second crop and again for rot in the weeks leading up to harvest. Harvested by hand into small bins to protect the fruit.
VINIFICATION
Bunches were crushed prior to a “Riesling” press cycle, six hours of slowly increasing pressure with only one draining turn at the end of the 6 hour cycle, to best mimic the juicing from a basket press giving a clear juice with enough grip to balance the signature Savigny “gout de silica”. Juice was allowed to oxidize in the tray to precipitate unstable phenolic compunds, and then chilled to 10ºC to settle the bourbe. The finest lies was selected with the juice for a 100% barrel fermentation. Barrels were kept warm to ensure a relatively fast fermentation, on average wines were dry by Day 16, to protect the wine’s tension and minerality. The wine was left in barrel on lies without racking or batonnage for ten months before a further three months in tank to tighten the wine up.
ABOUT SAVIGNY-LÈS-BEAUNE
Tucked away in a little valley off the RN74, Savigny-lès-Beaune has been an overlooked commune, and a natural starting place for Le Grappin’s exploration of under-appreciated pockets of Burgundy. While being known by Burgophiles as a hunting ground for “value wines”, Savigny-lès-Beaune terroir is capable of more than that, wines of purity and freshness, with a signature sappiness in the reds and a viscosity in the whites.

Hmmm still open…maybe I better try again. Bailed last night after trouble with the coupon.

Is Eau Claire close enough to Tomah? :slight_smile:

Is there distribution of this in WI?

thanks

Charles, sorry if you had trouble with the coupon. Just checked the code Berserkers, and it worked. If you have any problems, please email me jason.berry@amitiewines.com. And yes, Eau Claire is close enough.

Thank-you! order in…really looking forward to trying these.

Eau Claire might as well be a suburb of St. Paul :wink: should convince Eric at Coffee Ground that He needs to get these wines into WI somehow!

I’m from Wisconsin and went to the U of M. Would love to see these wines up there. Actually was just emailing with a fellow WBer from Mpls on Sunday about trying to get a tasting of our portfolio set up for the Twin Cities. Would have to be late spring. Was just in Madison a week ago and there was an 80 degree difference from when I flew out of Madison and landed in SD. I’m a wimp re the weather now, after 15 years in CA.

Feel free to email me if you would would like to discuss getting the wines and/or would have interest in participating in a tasting.

That was me Jason :slight_smile: