From the moment we hit the ground in Beaujolais we knew this was the big one.

Locals, usually a restrained sort, were grinning from ear to ear as they poured us samples of their 2009s from cask and foudre. Sure, we’ve visited these caves for decades; we’ve tasted some extraordinary wines. But these wines were different. There were no furrowed brows, no thoughtful pauses as we tried to put what we were experiencing to words. Have you ever seen serious professionals break down and dance a jig in a cellar? The 2009 vintage robbed us of speech and set our imaginations on fire. We could not believe how luscious the wines were—chock-full of creamy fruit, each sip a pillow of crème fraiche and ripe, savory summer berries, liquid and luscious and pure. Spoon-licking good. Forget the guests at the table and finish the bottle yourself good.

We were transfixed. We had never tasted Beaujolais so expressive, so aromatically captivating, so down-right delicious. Say what you want about the fickleness of taste, but we can hands-down guarantee that Beaujolais in 2009 will be loved by just about everyone with a pulse and an empty glass—pure pleasure has never been so easy to obtain.

The locals are adamant: 2009 is the finest vintage Beaujolais has seen since the fabled year of 1947. And we’re equally convinced: this is the finest Beaujolais vintage we’ve ever tasted. (And to wit: there will be more revelations on 2009 to come—make room in your cellars now.) There are many technical reasons why this year came together so effortlessly, and so ideally, for the hard-working artisans in these granite hills. Yet for us, despite the myriad terroir details and the daily weather reports that every fanatic finds pleasure in combing through, what matters at the end of the day is what’s in the bottle.

And what’s in these bottles is extraordinary, indeed. It’s important to note that for those of you who got excited about 2005 in Beaujolais, 2009 will surpass even your most lofty expectations. While 2005 delivered muscular concentration and seriously dark-fruited Gamay, the wines’ angular nature (and need for a cellar snooze) killed a bit of the early buzz. Our 2009 selections, in contrast, are from the starting gate made of the frothiest mousse and freshest fruit—no right angles or brooding teethers, here. But that’s not to mean that these wines aren’t serious, because serious they are.

The stuffing and soul of each bottle—abundant spice, great structure, tannins supple and velvety, balance and length that just won’t quit—makes us believe that these are both wines for immediate pleasure and for the good haul. We have sat many times around the table with our top producers in Beaujolais and pulled out older bottle after older bottle—wines with 10, 15 years of cellar age. You would not believe the nobility, the sheer elegance, of these wines. Which is why we’re so excited about 2009, as we know that what our friends are producing are some of the finest wines of their careers. Sure, those older bottles were fantastic—but it almost makes us want to jump into a time machine to see just how extraordinary 2009 will prove with time, simply because today’s wines are just so much better. Our instinct (and decades of experience) tells us that there is very good reason to go long on 2009—these are wines we’ll certainly be stuffing in our cellars, and suggest you do the same.

We can’t hammer this home more confidently or loudly enough—2009 may be one of the finest vintages in Beaujolais in our lifetimes. Perfect harvest conditions, an excellent crop in the hands of some of the region’s finest artisans, and wines that were handled just as they should be to make wine for the ages. These are wines you simply cannot pass up.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010