Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOC
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine from the region of Burgundy in France. Most Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, which is sometimes written unhyphenated as Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, is red although rosé wine may also be produced. Unlike other Burgundy wines, which are primarily produced from a single grape variety, Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains is an essentially a cuvée of Gamay and Pinot Noir. It is considered to be an uncomplicated, fruity wine intended to be consumed young.
History
The Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains became a regional AOC on 31 July 1937.
Region of production
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains is allowed to be produced in the entire area which can use the basic Bourgogne appellation.[1] This means 91 communes from the department of Côte d'Or, 85 communes of Rhône (not to be confused with the wine region Rhône), 154 communes of Saône et Loire region and 54 communes of Yonne.
Since Côte d'Or and Yonne have very little Gamay, most Passe-Tout-Grains are produced from grapes grown in Saône et Loire (essentially the Côte Chalonnaise subregion of Burgundy), where Gamay makes up almost half of the red grapes.[2]
Grape varieties
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains must contain more that 30% Pinot Noir, more than 15% Gamay, and the proportion of other allowable grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris) must be less than 15%.[1] Historically the required percentages of Pinot Noir were 20% (1937-1943), 25% (1943-1947) and one third (1947-2009).
Since Passe-Tout-Grains is generally a simple, rather cheap wine, and the lower market price of Gamay grapes in comparison to the much sought-after Pinot Noir, most Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains will contain about 2/3 Gamay, close to the maximum proportion allowed under the AOC rules.
Wine
The Pinot and Gamay are fermented together. This process starts with a carbonic maceration and continues with a traditional fermentation. The wine is usually released young, and shows little aging potential. It is recommended that it is drunk within 2-3 years, and the ideal serving temperature is 16 Celsius.