Beaujolais is all too frequently overlooked by wine snobs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proud wine snob, but there are many people who profess to know all the good vintages of Bordeaux and Burgundy and refuse to drink anything else. They will scoff at a perfectly good 2003 vintage Champagne in favour of a 2002 and they will just turn their nose up at Gamay from Beaujolais – regardless of the vintage.
Well more fool them, because 2009 is a stonking good year in Beaujolais. I visited the region last year and everyone was telling us that this vintage was going to be great. Obviously, the first Beaujolais that we all got to try was the Nouveau last Autumn, and even though it was its usual light and fluffy self, there was a bit of quality to it. A year on however, and ‘proper Beaujolais’ is being released and the 2009 vintage has produced some seriously good wines. I recently tried a pair of wines from two producers, and was staggered.
2009 Domaine Alain Chatoux Beaujolais Vielles Vignes
Coming froom low yielding vines that were planted in 1933, it has a light raspberry dominant aroma, hints of herbs and just a smidgen of Beaujolais Banana and bubblegum! The palate is light, more fruit dominance, and a little hint of carbonic maceration, but a lovely spicy structure. Very silky, very elegant and very very tasty. At around ten pounds, this is outstanding. 8.5/10
2009 Domaine de la Chaponne La Forge Chiroubles
Dried, and baked fruit on the nose. Cherries and a lot of a rather strange frying pan steak juices on the nose - but I love it! It is quite powerful, a bit of booze, but with some leathery elements. The tannins are nicely fuzzy, obviously gentle though, and the finish is long, dry and with cranberry and raspberry stalk flavours. Another cracking Beaujolais at £13. 8/10
So in a few weeks time when everyone is crying out for 2010 Beaujolais Nouveau, or if you are wanting a red with your Thanksgiving Turkey, don’t bother with the latest (overly priced) plonk from this French region. Go back to the great year of 2009 and get some Beaujolais with a years age. You will spend the same but get a vastly superior wine.
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