British wine enthusiasts have shown a great eagerness to get hold of en primeur 2009 Burgundy, it has been revealed.

With the 2009 Burgundy campaign still only a few days old, the Drinks Business reports that many merchants are seeing extremely high levels of demand.

Some are even finding that orders for 2009 Burgundy are already outstripping those received for 2006, 2007 or 2008.

Christophe Thomas, export director for Burgundy estate Joseph Drouhin, said it is clear that 2009 will be a particularly popular vintage.

"When you have a great vintage, the old traditional markets wake up and you see people you haven't seen in a while," he told the publication.

Critics at the early tastings of 2009 Burgundy have been very positive about the vintage.

Stephen Brook, writing in Decanter, said that the wines are "balanced and ripe" even at this early stage, with the potential to get even better with ageing.