Description
The wine
Vézelay is a small appellation in the northern Yonne — not Chablis, not the Côte d’Or, but a place with its own identity and its own geological story. The Kimmeridgian limestone here is the same ancient seabed formation that defines the mineral, saline character of the wines — an iodine-rich mix of grey marl and limestone studded with fossilised oysters, formed around 155 million years ago when this part of France sat beneath a shallow sea.
The Du Grappin Vézelay comes from the Merlutte vineyard — 35-year-old Chardonnay vines growing in Kimmeridgian soil with a sunny aspect and moderate altitude. The combination gives the wine a signature Vézelay profile: rich in fruit and weight, with a zippy, saline finish that reflects the ancient seabed beneath.
One-third of the juice is fermented in a large old oak foudre — for weight, depth, and texture. Two-thirds in a concrete egg — for mineral precision, length, and salinity. 12 months on full lees before a very light filtration. The result is a wine that is simultaneously generous and precise — fuller than most Chablis at this price, more mineral and saline than most Mâcon.
At $56 this is the most frequently recommended glass pour white wine on the Amitié list. Andrew and Emma describe it simply: “persistently drinkable.”
Winemaker’s note — Andrew & Emma Nielsen, Du Grappin
“35-year-old Chardonnay vines from the vineyard of Merlutte, in Kimmeridgian soil, an iodine-rich mix of grey marl and limestone, associated with mineral-driven wines. Along with a sunny aspect and moderate altitude, the resulting wine is rich in fruit, weight and with a zippy finish — a signature Vézelay profile.
The juice was fermented naturally, one-third in a large oak foudre, highlighting weight, depth, aromatics, and texture, and two-thirds in a concrete egg, which focused the mineral zip, length, and salinity. Aged on full lees for 12 months and bottled after a very light filtration.”
Tasting notes
Pale gold. Lemon, green apple, white pear, and a distinctive saline, almost iodine mineral quality on the nose — the Kimmeridgian limestone coming through immediately. The palate is crisp and focused with the weight and texture from the foudre fermentation balanced by the mineral precision and salinity of the concrete egg. Long, clean, refreshing finish. Approachable from release and consistently rewarding. Drink now through 2027.
Service: 10–12°C. Oysters, mussels, grilled fish, shellfish, light cheese plates.
2022 vintage note
2022 was a warm, generous vintage — in Vézelay as across Burgundy. For a mineral-driven appellation like this one, the vintage adds fruit weight that complements rather than overwhelms the Kimmeridgian character. One of the more complete recent expressions of what this vineyard and this formation produce.
Andrew and Emma Nielsen founded Le Grappin in 2011. They source from the same organically farmed single parcels every year, work without additions, and bottle everything by hand. Named one of The 10 Best Unsung Burgundy Producers by Wine-Searcher.
