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Even some solid red Rhône mojo didn't help, although we tried. Lord knows, we tried…
1997 Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, $27 Can., 12.9% alc.: We
hadn't tasted this dark garnet syrah since Round 1 of the 2002 playoffs, and it's done nothing but get better and better since then. The rich, almost raisined bouquet exudes a variety of nuances, including big plum, prune, bacon fat, dark chocolate, leather, Kiwi Shoe Polish ®, smoke and Brasso®. Flavors echo, with some added forest floor and decaying vegetation, all very smooth and dry, and turning somewhat puckery astringent on the finish. There's lots going on here, and the silky tannins should carry it through at least another four or five years of improvement. Like so many of these Domaine de Thalaberts, this just gets better and better as it opens with air.
Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons,
Ltd., New York, NY
 2001 Domaine Stéphane Cornu Crozes Hermitage Domaine du Pavillon - Mercurol, $26.99, 13% alc.:
Kim described this dark garnet as "soft, powdery, maybe dusty, and eminently drinkable," and I wouldn't disagree with her. The nose is closed at first, showing some pretty dark fruit accented with a little chocolate and garrigue. The flavors pick things up nicely, where the garrigue comes to the fore, with dusty plum, black currant and chocolate. The tannins are soft, with just enough acidity, and while it seems to have seen some oak, it's not at all overdone. As Kim pointed out, this is drinking very well right now, and with three and a half hours of air, it really opens, aromatically as well as in the mouth. Less traditional, less "correct," but no less tasty than the Domaine de Thalabert, this is Kim's obvious preference of the two, while I liked both equally for the contrast in character that they provide.
Imported by Robert Kacher
Selections, Washington, DC. USA
1999 E.
Guigal Saint Joseph, $19.99, 12.5% alc.: At first, this dark garnet doesn't smell much like syrah, with its strawberry, raspberry and cherry aromas, but some deeper, darker plum and black currant flesh those elements out in the flavors, with added notes of leather and chocolate. Maybe some of the fruit comes from younger vines, and it also seems to show some oaky qualities. There's at least five years worth of tannins here, and it turns a little twiggy - stemmy on the finish. With an hour and a half of air, the complexion changes noticeably, however, as it turns deeper and darker, filling out and losing the overt berry-ness; with another forty - five minutes, it starts to develop a subtle dead vegetation quality that is actually a positive attribute. This
will never be a great Saint Joseph, but it is enjoyable now with extended air, and should get even better down the road.
Imported by Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Inc., Solvang, CA
2001 Domaine du Pegau Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée, $61.99, 13.5% alc.: I won't be enjoying too many of these smoky dark garnet Châteauneufs, what with the drastic price jump from just
last
vintage, and it's a shame, because this is one very beautiful bottle of wine. It shows the classic Pegau bouquet of smoky dark plum, blackberry, saddle leather and a hint of aquarium. Flavors echo emphatically, with an added note of cola and deceptively soft, earthy tannins underneath it all. The finish turns brambly, and with an hour of air, this is so smooth, it almost seems creamy. Full bodied, with fine balance, it opens and evolves with shifting layers of deep flavor and nuance. Open one now, and cellar another three for ten or so years. Marvelous Châteauneuf du Pape, and maybe even better than the terrific 2000; my only complaint is the price tag.
Imported by J et R
Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI
 1997
Domaine Saint - Damien Gigondas, $27.99, 13.5% alc.: This slightly cloudy dark garnet doesn't throw much of a nose, showing only hints of indistinct dark fruit, but the flavors really pick things up with rich, earthy black currant and dark plum, shaded with dark chocolate, leather and cola. Full bodied, even chewy, with impressive concentration, this is still a young wine in many ways. It opens nicely with air, and while it's fun to drink already, it really needs five years or more to come around. Hopefully, it'll grow a nose too.
1997 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueryas, $14.99, 13% alc.:
Another one that we hadn't tried
since Round 1 of the playoffs two years ago, and I'm happy to report that
this dark garnet Vacqueyras is doing very well. The nose is all bramble and briar when it's first poured, with some cola, coffee, licorice, prune and black currant emerging with air. Flavors echo, and with about an hour and a half in a decanter, it
smoothes out and becomes eminently drinkable. There's still at least a few years' worth of tannins to shed, along with good acidity and a fairly long finish that accentuates the briar and bramble qualities of the wine. Drink or hold, but either way, this is a very fine glass of wine in a style that I love.
1998 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueryas, 13% alc.: I won this in a blind tasting two and a half years ago, and the gentleman who awarded it to me told me to keep my hands off it for at least two years. He was spot on, because this is drinking really well right now. A slightly darker garnet than the '97, it shows much the same characteristics, with the dominant briar and bramble leading the charge in flavor and aroma, and prune, black currant, coffee, licorice and cola in support. Somewhat more fruit forward than the '97, and less tannic as well, it moves right along with good acidity, finishing nicely. Rich, bold and expressive, it should only get better with another three to five years.
Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueryas Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
1999 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf du Pape, $37.99, 13.5% alc.: There's not a lot on the nose of this dark garnet Châteauneuf; some muted red and black fruit need coaxing with vigorous swirlatude to emerge. Flavors, while much more boisterous, with smoke, earth, black currant, blackberry and underbrush, lack that "edge" that differentiates a merely good wine from a very good wine. There's good tannic structure on a medium full bodied frame, and it finishes well enough with mostly earth and underbrush. A little cola comes out with air, and like any good Rhône, this gets better as it opens, so give it an hour in a decanter, or better yet, five years in the cellar. While pleasant enough, this is not playoff caliber wine, so I opted to open the following selection. Aftera glass of that, I sampled this again, and found it to be light and fruity in comparison, not quite red pop-ish.
Imported by Clicquot,
Inc., New York, NY
1997 Domaine Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf du Pape, $24.50, 13.5% alc.: Showing nary a hint of brick as of yet, this ruby garnet exudes a lovely bouquet of dark plum, black currant, black raspberry, saddle leather, smoke, violets and nutmeg, all of which follow through on the palate with big flavors, significant tannins and a long earthy finish. Rich, intense and delicious, this has plenty of everything that I love about Châteauneuf du Pape. With air, this smooths out beautifully, giving more and more pleasure, so give it two hours in a decanter, or better yet, three to five more years in the cellar.
Imported by J et R Selections, Mt. Pleasant, MI
So what's in store for next season? Will there even be a next season, with the potential impasse in the collective bargaining negations between the owners and the NHL Players Association? If there is a lockout like the one in 1995, players like Yzerman,
Hull and Chelios may have played their last games. If not, there are likely to be some changes to team personnel, perhaps some significant ones. Whatever the case, the off - season should be interesting.
Reporting from Day-twah,
Bastardo
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© George Heritier May 2004
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