Chateau de Lavernette, Beaujolais-Leynes (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) 2009

 This is one of the most serious and convincing bottles of Beaujolais that I’ve tasted during the past five years.  It shows delicious fruit recalling dark and red cherries along with some very appealing spice notes that seem derived from use of some new or newer barrels in the vinification process.  Straddling the line between light- and medium-bodied, it is fresh but firm and substantial, and could work well with anything from lighter preparations of red meat dishes to duck, veal, or grilled fish steaks.  Impressive stuff.