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I hate to say it,
Blackie,
but it got a little nervous out in
Hockeytown last week. After nailing the Dallas Stars to the wall in
the first three games of the NHL Western Conference Finals, the Wings
did a double hiccup, losing the next two, including Game 5 at Joe Louis
Arena, giving the Stars new life, and shaking the confidence of fans and
the local media alike. But, I had a sneaking suspicion going into Game Six that
we’d see a different Red Wings team than we had in the previous two, and that’s
just what happened. Detroit jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st Period and never
looked back, winning convincingly, 4-1, and clinching a berth in the Stanley
Cup Finals for the first time since 2002.
The Red Wings played with disciplined abandon and we did somewhat the
same here with our selection of wines for the evening. We were joined by an old
partner in crime, the enigmatic Mr. E, and
while the first two bottles we poured were Rhônes, they were anything but red,
and both went quite well with Kim’s made-from-scratch pizzas.
 2001
Vieux Mas des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, 40% Roussanne, 30% Grenache
Blanc, 20% Bourboulenc and 10% Picpoul, 14% alc., $8.00: We got five bottles
of this pale gold blend on a deep closeout discount, and considering what’s in
the bottle, it’s one of the best deals we’ve run into in a long time. Made from
young vines by Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, it offers flavors and aromas of white stone fruit shaded
with some seriously chalky minerality and a hint of lanolin. Full bodied and
dense, with good acidity and length, this may not be the best white CdP we’ve
ever had, but you can’t beat it for the bucks, and all five of those bottles are
history. Find this wine |
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 2007 Chateau de Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé, 14% alc., $19.99: Raspberry pink
in color, and ” predominantly Grenache,” according the
Kermit Lynch’s newsletter, this one had Mr. E oohing and ahhing; in
fact, we couldn’t shut him up! I really can’t argue though; it’s a lovely rosé,
with fairly bright, rich strawberry and raspberry character set off with nicely
balanced minerality. Medium to medium full bodied, with good acids, perfect
balance and nice intensity of flavor. This was the third time Kim and I had
tasted one of these, but it certainly won’t be the last. Find this wine
Moving along, we started in on the reds right around the time that they dropped
the puck to open the game, but neither was actually a Rhône; in fact both are
from Les Beaux de Provence, but as 50%-50% blends of Syrah and Cabernet
Sauvignon, don’t even qualify by law for inclusion of that appellation on the
label. Like the Vieux Mas des Papes, these were also acquired by way of
closeouts.
 1997 Domaine de Trevallon Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône, $24.99: Good
color here, not too deep, not too dark, with just a hint of rust; funky nose
when first poured, with somewhat funky, earthy, leathery, even a little sour,
stewed fruit on the palate. Sleek, medium full bodied, and with as little as 30
minutes in the glass, a wine that morphs into a mellow, mature Cab-Syrah blend.
It never was and never will be a great wine, but it’s certainly enjoyable for
what it is right now. Find this wine
1998 Domaine de Trevallon Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône, $30.99:
Deeper and darker in color than the ’97, and showing no rust to speak of. A
little funky-sour when first poured, and while it never entirely recovers from
those first impressions, it does open and improve with air, showing earthy
stewed currants shaded with a little leather and old wood. Still some decent
structure here, but if this bottle is any indication, it’s not going to get any
better. This one surprises me, because I’ve heard and read that this is the
better of these two vintages, but such was not necessarily my impression on this
occasion. We have a few more of each, so we’ll repeat the comparison, maybe
giving each a little air before tasting. Find this wine
All four of these wines were/are imported by Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant,
Berkeley, CA. Chateau de Trinquevedel is the only one currently in the Lynch
portfolio.
~
 Kurt “Indiana” Wieneke showed up for dinner
and wine on the night of Game 3, and he brought some serious mojo with him. Just
one bottle, but that was enough, considering that we were packing as well. We
decided to start things off with some Michigan magic, so we turned him on to
some of Jim and Rae
Lee Lester’s whites, which made beautiful music with Kim’s chicken
piccata and got us primed for the drop of the puck.
2004 Wyncroft Lake Michigan Shore Riesling Madron Lake Vineyard, 13% alc.:
We last tried this and the following wine on the same occasion, and both have
come along nicely since then. Medium straw in color, it immediately elicited an
impression of “steely acidity” from Indiana, and he wasn’t wrong. It shows
medium-plus intensity of under-ripe apple, mineral and a note of petrol that wasn’t
apparent that first time we tried it. Medium bodied, with zippy acidity, this is
drinking pretty well now, but its best days are clearly ahead of it, so if you
have some, hold off; you might call this a work in progress. Jim blessed us with
a magnum of the stuff that won’t be opened before 2014, at the earliest. Find this wine
2003 Wyncroft Lake Michigan Shore Chardonnay Avonlea Vineyard, 14% alc.:
This one is showing all kinds of things; rich golden color, big toasty oak and a
rich, ripe tropical fruit mélange. Full bodied and unctuous, with excellent
acidity, and as it opens, it reveals a nice balance between that ripe fruit and
an underlying crisp citrus character, along with a note of butterscotch. This
likes air right now, but it’ll like at least a few more years in the cellar even
more. Drop this baby in a blind tasting of Chardonnays and see where people
guess that it’s from; odds are, no one will name Michigan, unless they’re
already very familiar with Wyncroft Chardonnay. Find this wine
With game time at hand, we broke into the Rhônes, and they were powerful indeed.
Indiana poured his offering first, and I can’t but help remembering my fervent
wish the last time
we enjoyed this, back in its youth: “…and can only hope that
some kind benefactor opens another for me in five years or so.” It took a little
longer than that, but it was well worth the wait. Thanks, Kurt!
 1996 Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage,12.5% alc.: Still showing deep, dark
color, with no bricking to speak of; after his first sip, Kurt likened it to “an
herbal cough medicine.” For this taster, savory herbs shade the deep, dark black
fruit, coming more and more to the fore as it opens. It takes about half an hour
for the smoky bacon to emerge and mingle with the herbaceous underbrush, setting
the tone for the wine and defining its unique, classic Graillot personality.
Rich and lovely, and well structured still, yet eminently drinkable, this might
be at its peak, or it might still have a way to go. Find this wine
Imported by Europvin U.S.A., Emeryville, CA
 1999 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas, $23.99, 14% alc.: These have a track
record of taking at least 10 years from the vintage date to start drinking well,
so, while I was a little leery about opening it, I gave it an hour in a
decanter and it paid dividends. Still showing good dark color, with a huge core
of rich black plum, iron, herb/underbrush and a note of something like cola, all
anchored with earthy bass notes; this is “getting better every minute,”
according to Wieneke. Kim adds an impression of “kind of poopy,” but ultimately,
the iron and cola really take over as it opens. There’s plenty of structure left
here, but it’s really drinking well and it’s still on the way up. We’ll sit on
our last couple of these for at least a few more years to see how they evolve,
but it is already some great Gigondas, and much improved from the
last time we
tried it. Find this wine
Imported by Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
~Our choice of wine for Game 1
was a newer version of the Domaine de Trevallon, and it is very nice indeed.
Note that it is no longer imported by Kermit Lynch.
2001 Domaine de Trevallon Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône, $55.99: Deep
and dark in color, with a dusty nose of black plums and currants, with just a
hint of soft cocoa and a little bit of the barnyard; flavors echo and expand
with added leather and bitter chocolate elements, and the wine strikes a nice
balance between rich and restrained. Despite the obvious structure for the long
haul, this also has a smooth, lovely texture, so while I know that it
needs time to show its best, I can’t help but like it a lot already. Find this wine
Imported by USA Wine Imports, Inc., New York, NY
For Game 2, we had an updated version of a wine
we enjoyed during Round 2 and an
old friend.
2005 Domaine Terres de Solence Côtes du Ventoux Rouge Les Trois Peres, 70%
Grenache, 20% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre, 13% alc., $15.99: The first thing
that caught my attention when I tried it last month with United Estates Wine
Imports, Ltd. honcho Patrick Allen was an attractive note of black olive that
graces the black currant and blackberry flavors and aromas, and subsequent
bottles since then have been consistent in that regard. Showing undertones of
earth and underbrush, this is rich and lively in the mouth, with excellent
acidity and unobtrusive tannins. It’s good, honest wine, without excess or
pretension, and we like it even better than that ’03 we reported on previously. Find this wine
Imported by USA Wine Imports, Inc., New York, NY
 1999 Domaine Le Mas des Collines Regis de Taxis Gigondas, 13.5% alc.:
Showing just a hint of rust to the deep, dark color, this offers classic Mas des
Collines character, with lots of smoky black plums and currants, earth, iron and
a note of something like root beer-cola. Big and brawny, full bodied and well
structured, it responds well to an hour in a decanter, opening nicely and giving
much pleasure. Still at least three years from its peak, this one’s best days
are yet to come. Find this wine
Imported by J et R Selections, Mount Pleasant, MI
The wines we enjoyed during the two Wings losses in the series were hardly dogs,
Blackie. The way I see it, you just can’t win ‘em all, but the boys in the
jersey with the winged wheel keep on winning most of ‘em.
 2003 Catherine le Goeuil Cairanne Cuvée Marie Rouviere, 14.5% alc., $18.99:
Showing good and dark, if just a little murky, in color, this is a decidedly earthy
wine, and still a youngster, with little, if any of the mutant vintage’s
over-ripeness. It features plenty of iron over black plum and beetroot, with a
little cola peeking through. Full bodied, with big structure, this really wants
at least another three to five years in the cellar. It does finally start to
open after two hours in a decanter, showing a good bit of the rich core of fruit
and some leather as well; at four hours, it’s pretty darned nice, but still,
it’s best to be patient with this one. Find this wine
Imported by Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
2005 Domaine du Joncier Lirac Cuvée Roussel, 14% alc., $20.99:
This purple garnet got my attention right away, being smooth and structured at
once, but Kim wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as this taster, calling it “too
international.” I will admit that it’s
not exactly traditional, much less rustic, but I like what’s going on with its
sleek, dense personality and its deep, dark and rich black plum, black currant
and blackberry flavors and aromas shaded with undertones of earth and leather.
It’s still primary, yet already showing obvious appeal, especially with lamb
burgers and Red Wings hockey, and it’ll be even better with five to seven years
in the cellar. Find this wine
Imported by Kermit Lynch, Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
Red Wings vs.
Penguins in the Finals; sounds like fun, doesn’t it, Blackie?
Cheers,
geo
Other Recent Wine Explorations
Red Wings and Red Rhônes
Playoff Diary 2008-Round 2
Red Wings and Red
Rhônes
Playoff Diary 2008-Round 1
Old Friends-New
Vintages
14 from Vietti
This and That
Brian Loring Comes
to Town
9 From J et R Selections
PotPOURri
More Red Wings & Red Rhônes 2007:
New Wines from Perrin & Fils and More
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© George Heritier May, 2008
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