Bringing together the threads of two recent articles, Beaujolais 2009 – buy, buy! and Fine selections from the Wine Society, here's a range of Beaujolais 2009s (and one 2007) available from the Wine Society in the UK.
All but the Society's own label wines can also be found outside the UK. Before tasting this selection, I had heard and read so many good things about this vintage in this region and was delighted to find it's pretty much all true.
These wines are exceptionally well priced in relation to their quality and pleasure quotient.
RED
Red
Winemaker Jean-Marc Darbon, blended in conjunction with the Wine Society buyer. Screwcap. Greyish crimson, bright. Bon-bon-like red fruit, classic young lively Beajolais nose. More savoury on the palate, darker cherry and a firm layer of fruit with the lightest tannin grain to give depth. Fresh and surprisingly persistent at this price with a touch of savoury spice on the finish. (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2011
Price: £6.95 Wine Society
Red
Dark cherry colour but not dense. Delicate red fruit. Marked acidity and that same red-fruit profile on the palate. Less savoury than the Society’s own version, acidity a little more in evidence. Finishes both dry and juicy, with some heat on the end. (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2011
Price: £7.95 Wine Society
Red
Winemaker Jean-Marc Darbon, blended in conjunction with the Wine Society buyer. Greyish cherry red. Pure, delicate fruit on the nose. Both red and dark fruit. Velvet texture coupled with light, mouthwatering yet balanced freshness. Harmonious and refined if quite light on the mid palate. But delicate rather than weedy, and lingers to a nicely dry finish. (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2012
Price: £8.95 Wine Society
Red
Cherry red though the colour is denser and a little more smudgy than the Society’s Exhibition Juliénas. Nose, too, smells richer with more intense, dark cherry fruit combined with mineral freshness. Firm and pretty full-bodied for Juliénas, fine-grained tannins present but not intrusive. Restrained oak spice on the finish. Might benefit from another 6 months in bottle or some protein-rich food. Retains Beaujolais’ juicy freshness nevertheless. (JH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2010
–
2013
Price: £10.95 Wine Society
Red
Winemaker Jean-Marc Darbon, blended in conjunction with the Wine Society buyer. Mid ruby. Intoxicatingly aromatic though delicate first impression: sweet, fresh damsons, a light floral fragrance, and a touch of spice and mocha. Satisfying, silky, lovely balance of fruit and freshness in an elegant structure, scented mid palate. Flirtatious but has a more serious side. GV (JH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2010
–
2013
Price: £9.50 Wine Society
16.5
/20
Red
Slightly darker fruit and less openly fragrant than the Society’ Exhibition Fleurie. Seems more spicy and dark on the palate too but it's fresh and the tannins are present. Quite firm on the finish and needs food or time. (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £9.50 Wine Society
16
/20
Red
Relatively closed and dark but there’s some ripe damson fruit on the nose. Tannins quite dominant at the moment and could do with more flesh in the middle but maybe it needs a little longer in bottle to fill out. Not very winning just now. Powdery, dry finish. (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £10.50 Wine Society
Red
Fragrant, lightly spiced dark fruit. Touch of white pepper. Silky and really juicy, just invites the next sip with all the freshness. Slips down very easily but has plenty of spicy fruit flavour on the finish. GV (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2014
Price: £8.75 Wine Society
16.5 +
/20
Red
Restrained and yet fresh on the nose, some pure bright cherry notes and a touch of cedar. Tense and quite firm but tannins fully supported by lively dark fruit and then a spicy, appetite-whetting finish. More to come. (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2011
–
2015
Price: £9.95 The Wine Society
Red
Deep bright cherry crimson. Fragrant and sweet-fruited on the nose but delicate too. Refined and inviting with an underlying depth and tension. Utterly satisfying – already smooth and elegant but full of energy and depth. Complete and harmonious and still has length and potential to develop greater complexity. VGV (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2015
Price: £11.95 Wine Society
16.5
/20
Red
Perfumed dark fruit. Sweet and juicy on the palate but with well formed tannin-acid structure. The overall impresson is subtle but lingering, dominated by pure fruit flavours and a fresh aftertaste. Nothing jammy about this. Lithe. GV (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2013
Price: £8.95 Wine Society
Red
Fresh and lightly peppery over elegant pure fruit and just a hint of vanilla sweetness. Powder-fine tannins, juicy fruit, lovely balance, succulent. Tannins are dry on the finish but not drying. Needs food to bring out its best but it has that moreishness of so many Beaujolais 2009s. (JH)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2011
–
2014
Price: £9.95 The Wine Society
Red
White pepper and restrained yet ripe dark fruit with a touch of minerality and still some sweetness. Deliciously silky and easy to drink even though it has both fresh fruit and a lightly built but evident structure. Combines finesse with a great deal of discreet flavour. Fine balance and fresh length. GV (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2011
–
2014
Price: £8.95 The Wine Society
Red
Leaner than most of the wines tasted alongside so that the tannins stick out a bit. Dry, powdery tannins, refreshing but lacks flesh in the middle. (JH)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £8.95 The Wine Society
Red
Sweet fruit and a touch of toasty oak on the nose but all in harmony. In this line up, this seems to have more oak sweetness than any but this is matched by lively fruit and fresh acidity. Moreish and juicy even though there’s quite a spicy grip at the moment. Very well made and satisfying but oak needs to settle a little for the fruit to come into its own. (JH)
Drink:
2012
–
2017
Price: £13.50 The Wine Society
Red
Quite a contrast to the 2009s tasted alongside. Fragrant and complex. Still the bright fruit and refined scent but also the beginnings of undergrowth – only just – more of a signpost than an actual aroma. Silky and scented on the mid palate, a very slight leafiness as it opens up but not green and a nice little tannin bite on the finish. Elegant and juicy to the end. Drinking very well now. GV (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2009
–
2013
Price: £11.50 The Wine Society
WHITE
16
/20
White
Dusty ripe pears on the nose, rounded and full on the palate but with that pear graininess coming back. Seems surprisingly soft and rounded but there’s freshness right through to the end. Definitely showing characteristics of the region over those of the variety (Chardonnay). (JH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2010
–
2012
Price: £8.95 The Wine Society
