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2021 Bourgogne Passetoutgrain
Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Passetoutgrain means “toss it all in” in the local Burgundian dialect because winemakers of old did just that–co-fermented Pinot Noir with Gamay to give themselves something bright and fresh to drink while the remainder of their harvest aged. The Taupenot’s 2021 fills that same role; ready to drink tonight, it’s both elegant and eminently quaffable with explosive aromatics, a palate-awakening acidity, and notes of ripe red fruit and a dusting of allspice. It would be easy to pass over a Passetoutgrain among the nineteen cuvées Domaine Taupenot-Merme produces from venerated vineyards across the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, but don’t skip this bargain introduction to a Burgundy master.
—Meghan Foley
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Gamay, 50% Pinot Noir |
Appellation: | Bourgogne |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Taupenot-Merme |
Winemaker: | Romain Taupenot |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1986, .9 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Wines age 12-15 months in lightly toasted barrels |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
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About The Producer
Domaine Taupenot-Merme
Romain Taupenot is the ninth generation to run this family domaine. He first helped out at the domaine as a child, and then in 1998, he assumed management alongside his sister, Virginie. With 9 hectares in the Côte de Nuits and another 4.5 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, Domaine Taupenot-Merme produces nineteen different wines across seventeen appellations. Romain considers the house style to be one of richness with freshness, relying on the innate quality of the sites they farm to deliver wines that are balanced and complete. With this amazing assortment of climats, the hard-working Romain and Virginie are perfect ambassadors for this esteemed Burgundian terroirs.
About The Region
Burgundy
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
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Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch