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 had a double hiccup, losing the next two, including Game 5 at Joe Louis Areana, 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, Blackie, 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 (and having since been discontinued, from what I’m told), 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Next report: a couple o' real red Rhônes with "Indiana" Wieneke.
Red Wings vs. Penguins; sounds like fun, doesn’t it, Blackie?
Back at ya soon,
geo
I decide on a Andre Brunel CdR 2005 for tonights game and some burgers.