2009 Arbois Vin Jaune

The 2009 Arbois Vin Jaune was released some months ago, and the 2010 should be hitting the shelves sometime in 2018. 2009 was a ripe vintage, which seems to suit these "biologically aged" wines from Puffeney quite nicely. The nose is super intense with aromas reminiscent of concentrated meat broth, morel mushrooms and curry. The palate has pungent flavors, a sort of umami overdrive, very saline and tasty, with some mineral, diesel-like notes, and it lingers in your mouth for a very long time after you swallow. It has volume, length and width, with power and acidity, as time in the very dry and warm cellars where he ages his flor-aged wines greatly concentrates all their components and the evaporation is higher. This is rounder, fuller and more powerful than the 2008. This wine is very versatile with all sorts of food, and it's powerful enough to stand up to many different dishes. I'm giving it a very wide drinking window, but in reality, the window is probably wider...if you have patience! Unfortunately, Puffeney wines will get more and more sought after, and I wouldn't be surprised if prices soar in the following years. Get it while you can!