Burgundy needs vintages like 2009.

This wine is outrageously easy to drink; yet despite the relative expense of 2009s, I expect that many will be drunk as babies – just like this. But they might also bring a new audience to Burgundy who afterwards may also learn to appreciate the focus and clarity of a ‘classic’ vintage like 2008. This is particularly important with 2010 in the pipeline – it is not enough that ‘just’ the old hands might eventually prefer the 2008s and 2010s to the 2009s, in the end the wines have to sell to the wider market too. 2009 is really a vintage for the uninitiated to learn and appreciate, as well as me 😉

2009 Benjamin Leroux, Volnay 1er Clos de la Cave des Ducs
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose has some dark depth and the slightly musky, heavy perfume often to be found in 09s. Slowly the floral disentangles itself from the fruit – it’s lovely to follow. Likewise the palate is the archetypal full, round sweetness of the vintage – yet despite understated acidity it is completely balanced – I can certainly cope with its pleasure-seeking approach! The tannin is quite fine and very-much in the background – you’ll have to search it out. The flavour seems rather perfumed, slowly turning bitter in the finish and showing a hint of wood texture – both barrel derived though the texture (at least) will be gone in six months. Tasty as this is, I feel just a tweak more acidity might have given it the energy to reach another dimension – but I’m being really, really picky – it is lovely!
Rebuy – Yes