by Sharon Kapnick

I like to sing the praises of Beaujolais. It’s a very versatile wine — an ideal all-season wine that’s enjoyable at the picnic table as well as the Thanksgiving table. Because it has soft tannins and a smooth, silky texture and benefits from being lightly chilled, Beaujolais is the red wine that white wine fans will find easy to love. Thanks to its wide range, Beaujolais is both a wine to call upon when you’re not sure which wine to serve and a wine to take along when you’re invited to a friend’s home for dinner. Another plus: it offers great value because it’s recently been–undeservedly — out of favor.

The Beaujolais-Villages wines are so good this year they’re being compared to the best Beaujolais Crus, which tend to be more substantial and serious. The ten Crus are being compared to Pinot Noir. (As I wrote in Food-Friendly Wines Part Five: Beaujolais, the lightest of the crus are Brouilly, Chiroubles and Régnié; the middle in body and richness include Côte de Brouilly, Fleurie and St. Amour; the heaviest and most structured are Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent.)

Like many others, when I think of Beaujolais, I think first of Georges Duboeuf, who’s known as the King of Beaujolais. Duboeuf, who represents more than 400 winegrowers, has promoted and energized the region over a period of decades and produces scores of reasonably priced, good-quality wines that are widely available. (For more on Duboeuf, see also Great Everyday Wines at Great Prices: Wine Producers to Rely On.)

Duboeuf has called 2009 “the vintage of my lifetime. This vintage,” he says, “will be talked about for years to come!" And he’s not the only one enthralled with the 2009s. Esteemed British wine writer Jancis Robinson calls the vintage “exceptional.” Others have labeled it “extraordinary,” “spectacular,” “impressive,” “a revelation” — you get the idea.

Here’s why: The wines have freshness, great structure, supple tannins, rich fruit and ample spice. They’re elegant and exuberant, well balanced, with the good acidity (which you want in a wine that accompanies food) that Beaujolais typically has. Try some for yourself, and see if you agree!

NOTE: Beaujolais benefits from being served slightly chilled, around 55-57 degrees. A 10-minute wrap in an ice-sleeve chiller should do the trick.

Here are some recommended 2009 Duboeuf wines that I recently tasted:

Beaujolais-Villages (SRP: $9.99; $5.99 at www.wine-searcher.com): Aromas and flavors of strawberry, black fruits and spice. Fruit forward. Medium bodied, soft tannins, balanced alcohol and moderate acidity. A Best Buy.

Fleurie, Domaine des Quatre Vents (SRP $16.99): Georges Duboeuf has bought the entire production of the Domaine des Quatre Vents for 30 years. Fleurie, often called the Queen of the Crus, is the most feminine of them. Aromas and flavors of berries and black fruit. Medium to full bodied; elegant; good structure and acidity.

The following wines should age well:

Juliénas Château des Capitans (SRP: $17.99): Several years ago, Duboeuf and his U.S. importer Bill Deutsch together restored this historic property. Juliénas has historically been the favorite cru of Parisian poets, painters and journalists. Aromas and flavors of raspberry, blackberry, cranberry and black currant. Medium to full bodied.

Morgon Domaine Jean Descombes (SRP: $14.99): Seventy-five percent of the vines at this estate are more than 50 years old. Aromas and flavors of black currant, plum, red berries, cherries, violets and roses. Smooth and elegant. Medium to full bodied.

Moulin-à-Vent, Domaine de la Tour du Bief (SRP $16.99): Aromas and flavors of berries and cherries. Medium to full bodied. This wine can easily be mistaken for a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Beaujolais’s prestigious neighbor.

*Note: SRP = suggested retail price. The website price is the lowest price for these wines at wine-searcher.com at the time of writing. (The wines have just recently entered the market, thus the lack of prices at wine-searcher.) I don’t endorse or recommend the particular online outlets, although I do recommend wine-searcher.com.

©2010 Sharon Kapnick for SeniorWomen.com

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