Beaujolais 09 - Brilliant Wines

It was not just Bordeaux which enjoyed a superb vintage in 2009. Most of France enjoyed a fine summer and excellent vintage conditions. Clearly the Beaujolais has made exceptionally exciting wines, arguably even finer than the 2005s. The structure of a great vintage is clearly present, allied to an immensely appealing richness of fruit. These are wines to fall in love with. We have ordered a plentiful supply of magnums as well as bottles to celebrate the quality of 2009.

Beaujolais is on the brink of a Renaissance. For too long the region has suffered from post-nouveau depression, which has dampened enthusiasm in export markets and kept prices down. It is amazing that the fine wines from the top crus made by conscientious producers who plough their soil and take the same care and attention as their colleagues in the Cote d’Or, are mostly available for well under £ 20.00 a bottle. I sense that prices will soon become more realistic, as they need to do if producers are to be able to reinvest. The 2009s are not only brilliant wines but absolute bargains.
See here the wines available in Berrys' 2009 Beaujolais offer.

There are wide differences in wine-making techniques. Some of our producers favour the classical Beaujolais tradition of packing their tanks with whole bunches which then start to macerate and eventually ferment under a seal of carbon dioxide. Others prefer whole or partial destemming followed by a Burgundian style fermentation. We eschew those who practice thermovinification, which gives standardised wines with aromatics which lose the character of grape and terroir. The choice of élévage – in tank, foudre or barrel, also makes a significant difference.

Cheerful Beaujolais
The wretched Nouveau, such a brilliant marketing idea at the outset, has ended up as a form of homeopathic inoculation against Beaujolais – one small dose in November and you don’t have to touch the stuff for the rest of the year. This is a tragedy for those who are still making exciting wines of quality and durability.

There is Beaujolais grown on the flat land near the river Saone which need not concern us. But there is also Beaujolais grown high in the hills around village such as Bois d’Oingt and Ste Paule, with old vines on steep schist and granite slopes. Alain Chatoux makes a brilliant example. Theoretically one step up is the appellation of Beaujolais Villages, but again you need to choose where to source your wine. Some of the best come from around Lantignié, a stone’s throw from Beaujeu, the town which has given the region its name.

The crus
Nine appellations, subsequently increased to 10 with the promotion of Regnié, make up the crus of Beaujolais. Chénas, Juliénas, Chiroubles, Regnié, and St Amour are relatively rarely seen, though we have tracked down exciting examples of three of the five.

Brouilly and Côte de Brouilly complement each other. The Mont de Brouilly, covered in vines on all four sides rises out of the undulating patchwork of Brouilly vines.

Fleurie, even as its name suggests, is the most charming wine of the Beaujolais, delicious to drink young though the best examples improve with age. Various different sub-districts are beginning to emerge, but the perfume will remain the same although the body and structure may vary between La Roilette, les Moriers or La Madone.

That leaves the two big beasts Morgon and Moulin à Vent, the most tannic appellations making wines with a brisk mineral core. Both repay keeping, the flavours drifting towards notes more familiar to pinot drinkers as they mature. Look out for wines from the Côte de Py (Morgon) and La Roche, la Rochelle or Rochegrès (Moulin à Vent).