Chermette’s 2009 Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Traditionelle – whose 45 hectoliter per hectare represented, he said, about as high a yield as he ever gets – is loaded with ripe cherry and purple plum; laced with lip-smacking and invigorating salinity and cherry pit bitterness; and finishes with savory length, notes of iodine and chalk adding to a sense of minerality pronounced for its vintage (and highlighting the difference with the basic “Pierre Chermette” bottling, which incorporates purchased fruit). Soft and generous yet minerally diverse and refreshing, this should remain delightful for 18-24 months. 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