Le Grappin Skin Aligote 2020

Andrew and Emma Nielsen are an absolute treat. Their energy is intoxicating, often equal parts rowdy and thoughtful. They split their time between the UK and Burgundy, taking care of their sales and cellar simultaneously. They’re certainly clocking more miles than most of each vintage. Their focus is on sustainably farmed fruit from vineyards with true character. As each cuvée comes from a single site they try to capture the individuality mesoclimate, aspect, and soil can impart. They mostly resort to old-school techniques in the cellar, opting for minimal sulphur and a wide variety of maceration times. They are located in Beaune but choose to make cuvées from the Mâcon, Beaujolais, and even the Rhône to round out their portfolio. 

This cuvée comes from the lieu dit of Perelles le Haut in the Mâcon. The vines are over 80 years old, producing low yields of concentrated fruit. The grapes were fermented whole-cluster in a small tank for a week before being pressed off. The wine finishes fermentation in a neutral barrel before a nine-month élevage on full lees.