The Duboeuf 2009 Fleurie Clos des Quatre Vents – tasted from tank; and as usual, a cuvee from old vines treated to long, cool fermentation – displays ripe blackberry and blueberry, ocean breeze, black tea, borage, and bittersweet iris perfume in the nose. Silken and expansive on the palate, this is a little less intriguing but even more generous than the corresponding Fleurie Grand Pre, finishing with soothing yet stimulating length, and likely to be worth following for 3-4 years. A very ripe and concentrated but awkwardly woody “Prestige” bottling of Fleurie did not give me much hope for its post-bottling evolution.The vast and on the whole stylistically consistent range of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais bottlings – a majority issuing from individual domaines – represents a reliable source of value, and this has seldom been more true (nor has the range – most, but not all of which, I tasted – been more vast) than from 2009, which it is clear Duboeuf considers as fine a vintage as he has witnessed – although he notes, “It was very difficult this year to choose the date of bottling,” and many wines were still in tank awaiting that decision when I tasted in April. I continue to find as a general rule that Duboeuf’s wines are best drunk within two years of bottling, so in my notes I have made reference to aging potential only for any wines that I expect might be exceptions to that rule of thumb. (Wines identified solely by their appellation are so-called “Selections Georges Duboeuf” cuvees, labeled with his company’s signature flower labels. There are Regnie and Chenas selection bottlings that I did not taste, the latter being the sole bottling of its appellation this vintage, due to the ravages of hail.)Importer: William Deutsch & Son Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463

A ripe, smoky wine, full of sweet jelly berry fruit. It is rounded and rich, a delicious wine that rolls easily around the mouth. ——R.V.(12/31/2010)—— 87