Scott Greenberg, special to wtop.com

Great vintages in Burgundy, France happen about as often as getting your passport renewed, so they are celebrated with the appropriate pomp and circumstance reserved for coronations and State dinners.

The 2009 vintage is being referred to as a vintage of “nines,” alluding to other great vintages that occurred in ’59, ’69, ’79, ’89 and ’99.

This exceptional vintage proved especially beneficial for the exceptionally finicky pinot noir. While chardonnay – the other “sanctioned” varietal of Burgundy – performed well, it’s the red wine counterpart that is stealing the show with exceptional balance, bright flavors and remarkable aging potential.

Of course, when wonderful vintages like this come along, demand goes up and prices head towards the stratosphere. However, there are still some great values to be had by both major n