Game Two: It was a game of crazy bounces, bad breaks and more offsides by one team (Nashville) in a period than I’ve witnessed in a long time, eh Blackie? Your Preds were playing my Red Wings tough through two, but seemed to wilt badly in the 3rd period, when Detroit was dominant. And how about Darren McCarty getting the first goal of the game? What a comeback story that is!

Since it was Saturday, we enjoyed two wines from one of our favorite producers, both during and after the game.

2003 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée Azalaïs, 14% alc., $21.60: Showing good dark color, this offers plum, prune and cola on the nose, fleshing out in the mouth with a smoky character and an earthy base; as it opens with air, a hint of Brasso ® and some subtle underbrush emerges. Well structured, with ample tannins (most apparent on the slightly astringent finish) and good acids, this is already drinking well, turning smoother and richer with some aeration, but its best days are obviously some years down the road. These are always nice at around 10-years of age, so cellar accordingly. Find this wine

2005 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée Doucinello, 14%, $27.50: Another one with deep, dark, not-quite-opaque color, with black olive, iron, earth, leather, black plum, blackberry and a little bit of the barnyard all mingling on the nose and carrying over onto the palate with big structure and a full-bodied frame. Approachable now, this is easily a 10-15 year wine, and a very good one. Find this wine

Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

Game Three: You might get a chuckle out of this one, Blackie.

So there I am trying to enjoy an exciting Game 3 between your Preds and my Wings (I wasn’t crazy about those two quick goals your guys tallied in the 2nd Period), and by the middle of the 3rd, I should have been feeling pretty good, after my boys took a 3-2 lead, but did I? I bloody well did not, because I’d also been tuning into the Tigers-Twins game during commercials and between periods, and there’s Detroit getting their Bengal butts kicked yet again, 9-1. So try as I might to enjoy the hockey game, I can’t, because the baseball game is putting me in a fouler mood by the inning, and it got even fouler when your guys scored those two quick goals nine seconds apart late in the game to squeeze out the victory, with an subsequent empty netter for gravy.

Ironically, after the hockey game, I switched back to baseball to see if the Tiges could resuscitate their offense and pull out a miracle, and I’ll be damned if they didn’t, rebounding from not one, but two 5 run deficits to outscore Minnesota 11-9 with a finish that went right down to the final nerve-wracking pitch! They better do something about that pitching staff…

But I digress; these are supposed to be a tasting notes, aren’t they Blackie? OK, here you go.

We’d received a sample bottle of a Côtes du Rhône that we’ve enjoyed in past vintages, so that’s what we opened for the game.

2006 Kermit Lynch Cuvée Côtes du Rhône, 14% alc., $12.99: Deep and dark in color, falling somewhat short of inky, and offering an earthy iron and black fruit nose that opens and expands on the palate to reveal a rich, ripe core of black plum and berry, accented with notions of dark chocolate, coffee and new leather as it opens. Indeed, this one likes air, so 30-45 minutes in a decanter will pay dividends. It’s sleek and well structured at the same time, and by no means “rustic;” in fact, it flirts with the “international style, all the while retaining enough earthy character to live up to Kim’s criteria for a good “dog sh*t French wine.” Find this wine

Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

We like this one, Blackie, but it’s more a “regular season” selection than a “playoff wine,” so we won’t make that mistake again. Mo’ better red Rhône mojo is in order for Game 4!

Games Four & Five: The weather’s warming here in Hockeytown, Blackie. Last night, it was so nice that I enjoyed my first cigar of the season on the back deck after the game, a Cuban Cohiba Edicion Limitada 2004, along with a couple glasses of Warre’s Warrior Port. I was celebrating not only the Wings 2-1 win over your Preds, but just the fact that I could sit outside comfortably at night without a jacket on. It’s a beautiful thing.

Did you uncork that Allemand to out-mojo my @ss like you threatened to? If you did, it almost worked. I was in another foul mood after Radek Bonk (wonder if he’s any relation to Joe?) tied the game with 44 seconds left in regulation, but Johan Franzen saved the day with his breakaway goal 1:49 into overtime. It was a good recovery from the disappointment of the two games in Nashville, and I like Osgood in net for my guys.

We enjoyed two wines from what is becoming one of our favorite producers during the last two games.

2001 Domaine de L’Oratoire St. Martin Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages Haut-Coustias, 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 13.5% alc., $26.99: This looks like a glass of slightly cloudy ink, and offers flavors and aromas of rich red and black plum and berry filled out with earth, iron, underbrush, leather and a note of chocolate as it opens. Full-bodied and big-boned, this is still a young wine at six years old, but one that’s full of promise for a long life of excellent drinking, and like so many of these, it really opens with air, becoming more and more engaging. Still, it’ll be at its best in four or five years, so if you have better restraint than me, be patient. Find this wine

Imported by J et R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI

We found a few bottles of the next one in a closeout bin at The Anderson’s on Talmadge in Toledo last February. Look at that price!

2004 Domaine de L’Oratoire St. Martin Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages Cuvée Prestige, 60% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, 14% alc., $12.99: Deep and dark in color, with an expressive nose of dark plum and berry shaded with some subtle chocolate, all of which echoes and expands beautifully on the palate with undertones of underbrush and leather. The solid tannic backbone and zippy acidity can’t hold this back now, given some time in a decanter; it’s already delicious and Kim and I both love it, but it should be really singing on or about its 10th birthday. It’s much more user friendly than it was last May, but then, it’s from a different importer. I wonder if there’s any difference between the two? Find this wine

Imported by Vintner Select, Mason, OH

Game Six: I have to hand it to ‘em, Blackie, your Nashville Predators acquitted themselves admirably in stretching Round One to six games. I’ve heard some commentators describe their performance as “overachieving,” and while I’m not ready to dish out a backhanded compliment like that, given that every game was so tightly contested, I would submit that the 3-0 Red Wings series clinching victory demonstrated the ultimate difference in talent between the two teams. Your observation about the previous Nashville owner dumping key players last year is also well taken. And like I said last time, I like Osgood in net.

We didn’t drink any wine during the game, but I had a good glass at a gathering the night before that I designated as my mojo for the following day, and I guess it worked. It was also a good follow-up to the two we enjoyed during Game 2. Here are my “snapshot” impressions:

2002 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée Doucinello, 13.5%: This one is a slightly cloudy dark garnet in color, and it’s all about earthy, leathery, slightly smoky black plum and beet root in flavor and aroma. Full bodied, with good structure and length, this is not only drinking well now, it’s developed nicely since we last had it, especially considering the less-than-stellar vintage. Not entirely primary, but neither has it developed any tertiary characteristics yet, this doesn’t seem to need nearly as much air as it did back in 2005 and is probably a still year or two away from its optimum drinking window. All in all, a nice glass of wine. Find this wine

Cheers,