Emmanuel Rouget Passetoutgrains 2020

Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains (or Passetoutgrains) is the appellation, created in 1937, for red (mostly) and rosé Burgundy wines made under the region’s least stringent production conditions. The catchment area covers all of Burgundy and some of the neighboring Rhône administrative department.

These wines are very much for everyday consumption and are considered the least ‘fine’ that Burgundy has to offer. The typical Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains red wine has a straightforward, rustic style. The better wines do develop with a few years of bottle ageing.

The term means literally ‘pass all grapes’ – a reference to the lack of berry selection carried out following the harvest. For red wines the berries in question are predominantly Gamay (which must account for at least 15 percent of a blend) and Pinot Noir, (at least 30 percent).

The white varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are also permitted in the red blend and are generally accepted where they are already present in a vineyard. They may make up to a maximum of 15 percent of a finished wine.

Rosé wines under the appellation conform to the same blending conditions as red wines.

Carbonic maceration is permitted under the appellation laws, to soften the tannins and provide a fresher, fruitier element. Chaptalization is also allowed to a certain extent, to bring the wines up to full alcoholic strength in cooler years when the grapes struggle to ripen fully.

While the production conditions are generally very relaxed, they do forbid the use of oak chips.