Below are two wines that will be featured by-the-glass at next week’s Braddock’s American Brasserie Tuesday Tasting (located at the Renaissance Hotel downtown Pittsburgh). I will review and discuss two wines every Tuesday – all people and opinions are welcome – should be fun!
The Murphy Goode Sonoma Chardonnay is a rich gold color with a nose that includes typical chardonnay aromas of apple and pear. The wine’s development occurs partly in stainless steel tanks (to retain freshness in the wine) with the remainder in French and American oak barrels (to add complexity and oak notes). A percentage of this California chardonnay undergoes malolactic fermentation which adds weight to the texture and as a result, compared to many other whites, this wine is somewhat richer. The wine is full of baked apple pie, peach and pear flavors, followed by an oaky/vanilla finish with a hint of minerality. Overall Murhpy Goode’s efforts result in a fine example of modern California Chardonnay.
The 2005 Chateau Les Reuilles Bordeaux red represents a good example of affordable Bordeaux table wine. Cabernet is the dominant grape (75%) in this wine with Merlot filling out the remainder of the blend – a characteristic blend associated with the left bank of the Bordeaux wine region. The color is ruby red and the nose shows a very light, perfumed aroma. While high dollar 2005 Bordeaux reds require that you wait several more years to drink, this wine needs no more time to mature and is ready to drink now. The wine is light to medium bodied, which is quite light for those who are mainly familiar with Napa Cabernets or Australian Shiraz – but along with the lighter body, the flavors are clean, fresh and very nicely balanced. The finish has some grip that will make this wine a good food companion. A nice wine for the category.
Jack Brice Wine 