Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Bourgogne Passetoutgrain 2024

The Land

Bourgogne Passetoutgrains is one of Burgundy's oldest styles and one of its most overlooked. The name means roughly "pass all the grapes," a nod to the days when Pinot Noir and Gamay grew side by side and went into the vat together. The rules require at least 30% Pinot Noir and 15% Gamay, and traditionally the wine came from flatter, clay-rich ground below the famous slopes, the vineyards that fed the growers' own tables. It sat at the bottom of Burgundy's quality pyramid for decades. A handful of serious domaines kept making it anyway, because a light, juicy red from their own vines was exactly what they wanted to drink on a Tuesday. D'Angerville is one of them.

The Wine

The Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Bourgogne Passetoutgrain 2024 is a roughly even split of Gamay and Pinot Noir, raised with no new oak so the fruit carries the wine. 2024 was a very wet year across Burgundy, with rainfall near double normal through winter and spring, poor flowering for the red grapes and months of mildew pressure. Guillaume d'Angerville has called it the worst growing season he has seen. The upside of a cool, damp year for a wine like this is freshness: bright acidity and clear, unforced fruit. Cherries up front, a flinty edge and a touch of spice, then a crisp, clean, focused finish. Gamay from Burgundy brings the lift and energy, and Pinot Noir brings the frame and perfume.

The People

Guillaume d'Angerville did not plan to run a wine estate. He built a career in investment banking, including senior roles at J.P. Morgan in France, before taking over the family domaine in Volnay when his father Jacques died suddenly in 2003. He has since made more than twenty vintages, converted the vineyards to biodynamic farming beginning in 2006, and moved away from chaptalization, which he says he has not used in two decades. He also serves as president of the association for Burgundy's Climats, the vineyard sites recognized by UNESCO. The Passetoutgrain shows his lighter side. He calls it "a wine for thirst," and says Gamay "brings the joy, the liveliness, to the seriousness of Pinot Noir."

Food Pairing

Treat this like the table wine it was meant to be, with a slight chill, about 20 minutes in the fridge. A charcuterie board with saucisson sec, rillettes and cornichons is the classic Burgundian match, the acidity cutting straight through the fat. Roast chicken with garlic and thyme works every time. Grilled Toulouse sausages over lentils give the Gamay's cherry fruit something smoky to push against, and a croque monsieur with a green salad is lunch sorted. This is the red to keep a few of on hand for pizza night, a picnic in Washington Park, or the evening you want a glass of real Burgundy without a reason.