Today’s wine has everything going for it except name recognition. “Passetoutgrain”—sometimes spelled “Passe-tout-grain”—is quite the mouthful, yes, but once you learn how classic and unique this style of wine is, your next question is, “Where have you been all my life?” This is the kind of wine that winemakers themselves drink—an authentic expression of a place and a reflection of reality in the vineyards rather than a marketing project.
As much time as we spend here reminding everyone that Beaujolais, and the Gamay grape, are part of Burgundy, they’re still mostly regarded as separate entities. But in fact, as you move south in Burgundy—and especially as the Mâconnais gives way to Beaujolais—Pinot Noir begins to cede ground to Gamay. But it’s not like there’s a hard line in the sand (or should I say, clay): traditionally the two grapes were intermingled in Burgundy’s top vineyards, even as far “north” as the Côte de Nuits, where today’s Passetoutgrain from Confuron-Cotetidot hails from. Comprised of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Gamay, this 2015 is a brambly, berry-scented, structured and delicious red designed to be enjoyed both now and many years down the line. Kudos to the Confuron family for continuing to champion this classic style—I wish there were more examples out there, much as this one nails it across the board. Combine great Gamay grown not far from Vosne-Romanée with Pinot Noir from the same area, add the generous warmth of the 2015 vintage, and you have this bright, firm, fragrant beauty—a spring/summer around-the-house staple if I’ve ever seen one! It drinks beautifully now and will age gracefully for many years to come—all for an unbelievably low price.
A lot of wine lovers (and makers) willfully ignore the fact that Beaujolais is technically “red Burgundy,” given the universal reverence of Pinot Noir. But Gamay, which is literally the spawn of Pinot Noir, has always been the lesser-regarded grape, even though it was easier to grow (and therefore tempting for many to plant). “Passetoutgrain” translates roughly to “throw it all together,” and its existence as an officially codified appellation wine (AOC) speaks to the fact that vineyards in Burgundy were often “co-planted” to many different varieties. Typically, Passetoutgrain is some mixture of Pinot Noir and Gamay, but white grapes may be used in small percentages as well. Back in the days when Burgundy was an even colder, more marginal climate than it is now, Passetoutgrain served a valuable purpose as a wine to consume young, while the more austere, pure Pinot Noir wines came together in barrel. And I’ve got to say, there’s a lot to like in this blend: the perfume of the Pinot Noir remains at the fore, but is supported by the rounder, softer fruit component of the Gamay coupled with a backbone of structure from fermenting in whole clusters. The grapes are related, after all—it makes sense that they complement one another.
Confuron-Cotetidot is a family-run operation, specializing in vine propagation and selection massale (using one’s own vine cuttings to propagate new plants, instead of scions from a nursery). Parents Jacky and Bernadette work the vines, and brothers Yves and Jack operate the estate and the cellar, respectively. They have holdings in sites from village level to Grand Cru, and they even have a clone of Pinot Noir in their name: “Pinot Confuron.” Vines are an average of 65 years or older, hand-harvested and cared for tirelessly to produce low yields. Farming has always been done organically, without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and wines are unfiltered and unfined. They apply 100% whole cluster fermentation, followed by a 2- to 3-week maceration and up to 2 years in the barrel—the amount of new oak dependent on the appellation. Their upper-tier Burgundies, many of which we’ve offered here, are built for long aging. The Passetoutgrain, meanwhile, is approachable earlier in its life, but has an ability to age more than other producers’ versions due to traditional winemaking methods.
The 2015 Confuron-Cotetidot Bourgogne Passetoutgrain is made up of one-third Gamay and two-thirds Pinot Noir, and those proportions make sense when you first approach this wine: It leads with its Pinot Noir-ness, with a terrific underbrush note complementing ripe red fruits on the nose, while both the warmth of 2015 and the Gamay make their presence felt on the palate. In the glass it is a reflective dark ruby with magenta and pink highlights at the rim, and each time you return to the glass you get different hints of its component parts: bing cherry, wild strawberry, baking spices, and forest floor (Pinot) one moment, followed by purple plums, crushed rocks, and violet (Gamay) the next. Texturally it is medium-bodied, with great freshness and mineral depth that owes at least in part to that whole-cluster fermentation (and very old vines). This is a wine to enjoy now in Burgundy stems at a coolish 55-60 degrees (which will highlight its fruit and floral notes), yet it has enough backbone to pair with meats (and fish) off the grill this summer. Simply decant for 30-45 minutes and the wine will be firing on all cylinders for hours. As I mentioned above, this wine is beautiful now, yet will age gracefully for what I believe is 15-20 years if kept in a cold and dark place—at this price, I highly advise stowing some away for years down the road. I especially like the idea of several well-chilled bottles of this alongside freshly caught salmon off the grill (the more smoke and char, the better). As I sip this bottle I can’t help but recall the old-school “salmon bake” I enjoyed at Oregon Pinot Camp a few years back, at which large salmon fillets were speared on alder wood stakes and roasted over an open fire pit. The attached recipe will get you close, and will make an awesome partner for the wine. Cheers!
