2006 Chateau de Pierreux Brouilly

 

2006 Chateau de Pierreux La Reserve de Chateau Brouilly
Brouilly is the largest wine area in Beaujolais. The grape from this region is Gamay. The wine that most people have heard of from this region is Beaujolais-Villages.

This wine is a medium ruby on the pour, a bit purple too.

On the nose I get black currant, blueberry, raspberry, plum, and a bit of earthy dirt smell. I decanted this for about an hour between my first taste and second glass. The smells did not change over this hour, but they were a bit less intense after the decanting, more rounded edges on the nose.

On the palate I really noticed a change from the first tasting out of the bottle and after the hour of air.

First, the initial tasting: floral flavors, black cherry and plum. Nothing outstanding but nothing obtrusive either.

After an hour in the decanter: continuing floral, black cherry and plum; but the addition of sweet tannins is brilliant. There is definitely an alcohol flavor at the end, which is refreshing in a good red wine (often they are too fruity but this wine has a nice balance). The warm alcohol flavor is followed immediately by the tannins again, a very well done balancing act.

This is not a big, huge, dark wine; I think of it more as a happy red grape. I enjoyed this wine with a seared steak and a spicy vinegar spinach salad; it would also go well well poultry and even a darker chicken dish.

Rating: 89 - This is a very good wine, but it is not complex enough to coax a 90point rating from myself.

Retail: $16