Originating as usual in both the South of Beaujolais and the Beaujolais-Villages sector - thus reflecting both chalk-clay and granite underpinnings - and vinified entirely in barrel, Chermette's 2010 Beaujolais Coeur de Vendanges mingles black and red currant in a bright if less exuberant display than that of this year's Cuvee Traditionelle. Still, there is an impressive sense of density here for the vintage and appellation(s) in question. Berry seed tartness and pronounced salinity serve for invigoration in the finish, but nowhere near the ringing purity of its Cuvee Traditionelle counterpart. Pierre Chermette - for more about whom, consult in particular my report in issue 184 - didn't start picking his 2010s until September 23rd, with Moulin-a-Vent and Fleurie Les Garants; and completed his harvest of the estate's majority Appellation Beaujolais vineyards on October 5. "Really, the quality was comparable to that of 2009," he asserts, "just at a full degree less alcohol and with higher acidity. Vinification was easy." Yields, he adds, were comparable, and only a slightly more stringent selection of fruit was required than in 2009.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

From older vines – in this instance incorporating fruit both from the South and from the Beaujolais-Villages sector, near Brouilly – and vinified entirely in barrel, Chermette’s 2009 Beaujolais Couer de Vendanges smells vividly of fresh purple plum and cassis; is imposingly mouth-filling yet bright and buoyant (especially by the standards of the vintage, and despite higher-than-usual 13.3% alcohol) and finishes with persistent interplay of generously juicy fruit with salt, chalk, fruit pit, and iodine. This saliva-inducing beauty should remain delightful for 2-3 years. Pierre Chermette – for more about whom, consult my report in issue 184 – picked his crus from September 7-15 and his vines in the South of Beaujolais the week following, managing to keep alcohols below 13.5%.Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800