The 2009 Beaujolais harvest has created "delightful" Burgundy wines that are perfect for summer drinking, an expert has suggested.

Critic John Mariani believes that Beaujolais' reputation has suffered greatly due to a very public backlash against the un-aged Beaujolais Nouveau in recent years.

Writing for Bloomberg Businessweek, Mr Mariani reasons that good Beaujolais, such as that offered by many of the region's bottles from the 2009 vintage, can be "sheer delight".

However, it seems that some wine enthusiasts have not forgotten about the potential of Beaujolais and were perhaps just waiting for the right vintage to come along.

Wine importer Chris Adams told the publication: "With some age, the 2009s are so food-friendly and offered at such a good price that we're seeing interest in Beaujolais growing again."

Wall Street Journal wine critic Lette Teague suggested earlier this year that the 2009 vintage would be the one that sparked a Beaujolais renaissance.

She also noted that some wine buyers are now referring to "Beaujolais futures" as a potential investment opportunity.