Lights, Camera, Action!

Director Jim Collins gets us ready for our close up.
A crew of 25 and 8 actors moved into Brie & Bleu last Friday night.



New London selected for
Connecticut Light & Power's new promotional campaign.
Begins airing on Labor Day.

860-443-6817
Greetings from New London,

Lots of excitement last week - many of you saw the film crew setup in the street as you arrived for the tasting. "Whats this all about?" people were asking.

New London was selected by Connecticut Light & Power for part of its new promotional campaign.

The producers liked what they saw and included us in all of the action.

Thanks to all of you that had to work around them, we appreciate it.

Please join us at the weekly tasting - the list of wine is below these words of interest.

*****

SUMMER MOVIES
Get your wine & cheese from us and then walk across the street to the Art Park for
free summer movies

MUPPET MOVIE TRAILER

Hygienic Art Park
Across From The Wine Store
Summer Flickers
Wednesday nights June 24 - September 9 at 8pm.

August 12: The Muppet Movie (1979)
August 19: Coffee & Cigarettes (2003)
August 26: Faire Harbour Film Fest
September 2: Double Indemnity (1944)
September 9: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

For more info, visit hygienic.org

Wine Tasting
Please Join Us
Friday August 14 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc 2005 August sale price $10 a bottle

The fruit for this wine comes from the Leyda Valley, located just south of the prestigious Casablanca Valley. Leyda is quickly building a reputation for producing some of the best Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit in Chile.

Unlike Casablanca, which is protected from the Pacific by a mountain range, Leyda enjoys a maritime influenced, cool climate throughout the growing season, with morning fog and afternoon breezes.

The low-yielding vines are picked early in the morning by hand to keep the fruit cool before pressing. The vineyard is farmed with sustainable practices, and the care taken in the fields is echoed in the meticulous winemaking in the cellar. The wine displays fresh gooseberry and citrus aromas, with distinctive notes of green Serrano pepper and freshly cut grass.




2 - Crios Rose of Malbec $12

A very big Rosé, done in the tradition of big Argentine wines. The wine maker Susana Balbo bleeds the Rosé off as she makes her old vine Malbec.

And as you might imagine, the Rosé mirrors the Malbec, bone dry with lots of fruit and exotic spices. The wine is so big and dry, that it's closer to a light bodied red than any other Rosé I know.

Remember, only mad dogs and Englishmen drink red wine in the noonday sun, and summer will come, and you will need a good, dry Rosé to serve at your backyard barbeque.

















3 - Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence 2006 $16

(Pronounced:
"Mmm, yum")

I've always been charmed by this spicy red in the tubby bottle. I've poured it Monday before, but the new 2006 vintage has arrived and needs to be sampled!

From a small, beautiful vineyard of grape vines and olive trees in Provence, Gourgonnier produces even-handed wines of Rhone varietals and Cabernet Sauvignon, and some of the most prized olive oil in France.

And they are the modern model of a fully organic and biodynamic agricultural producer. Wild rasberry tones with touches of smoke, nutmeg and black pepper, defined by ripe round tannins (translation: "Mmm, yum"). Get It Now.



4 - Beryna Tinto Alicante $18

60% Monastrell, 10% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Tempranillo

Rafael Bernabe and Olga Navarro own 40 hectares of vineyard, planted predominantly with the Monastrell variety.

They also cultivate Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, with different clones, root-stocks and age of vines. The vineyards are near the town of Villena, in the western portion of Alicante which is relatively cool and offers lower humidity which reduces disease pressure and leads to sound grapes.

Perhaps most importantly, be tween veraison (grape coloring) and harvest there is slightly higher air humidity which burns off by the afternoon leading to reduced water stress on the vines.

Water stress is controlled through the use of leaf pressure chambers and measurements of leaf temperature and has proved to be important for increasing aromatic characters in all of their different red varieties.

Winemaker Joaquin Galvez, one of the most respected Spanish professors in wine tasting, is the first Spaniard to take the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine courses. In 1996 he released his first wine, made in Jumilla. Finally in 2003 he obtained not only a Gold medalat the prestigious International Wine Chal lenge in London, but also the Red Wine Trophy for the best Spanish Red Wine in the UK, for the Altos de Luzon 2002. He explains his goal as "something that in the late 90's seemed to be unthinkable for Spanish southern Mediterranean wines; my intention is to produce elegant wines, seeking for finesse, aromatic fruit expression and freshness."

The wine is harvested in small boxes of 20 kg. In the vineyard only the best bunches are harvested. At the winery all the bunches are sorted again eliminating leaves and all inferior bunches. Given the careful farming, dis carded material is significantly below 1% of total mass. Varietals are fermented separately with only free run juice proceeding to aging for 12 months in 1/3 new and 2/3 1 and 2 year old oak. The wine is fined with egg whites and bottled unfiltered. The wine is an expression of the vineyard, aiming to make it more and more delicate, balanced and with intense fruity aromas.

"Inky purple. Explosively aromatic nose offers a seductive bouquet of blackberry, pungent flowers, oak spices and minerals. Red and dark berry flavors display impressive depth and purity, building in sweetness with aeration. Supple tannins add gentle support but don't dis tract from the deep berry flavors. Finishes silky and persistent." - IWC

As always - thanks very much for your support - we appreciate it.

Please Join Us.
It's fun, informal and a great way to start your weekend.


AAA.

**Special Announcement** July 4 Holiday Weekend

Greetings from all of us in New London, ** Special Announcement** - "The Man" is trying to keep us down. This Friday is the Fourth of July. The State of Connecticut mandates that Thames River Wine and Spirits be closed for the holiday. N O T T O W O R R Y Not to be deterred, we are moving our weekly wine tasting to Thursday night, and will feature one of those "Really expensive, famous wines with really high scores that you only get to drink once a year" , but more about that later. Brie and Bleu WILL BE OPEN FRIDAY - And doing a little wine tasting of their own. They will be featuring their new Moulard Duck Breast Salad - AND As a special pairing to the Duck Breast Salad they will be pouring and serving by the glass Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir. Josh Jensen of Calera has been farming a high altitude outcropping of Limestone in the Mount Harlen A.V.A. since 1975. He farms to extremely low yields, often below one ton per acre. His struggle to produce the finest Pinot Noir in America was the subject of Marq de Villers book, The Heartbreak Grape. We have several copies of the book that Josh signed on his last visit if anyone is interested. So come by Brie and Bleu Friday night eat a duck and try some truly beautiful Pinot Noir. *** If you happened to be in The District this past weekend you know that the streets were hopping. The galleries were open, the air was full of music, and the tables at Brie & Bleu were full. We saw friends from Old Lyme, from Noank, Fishers Island, and the beaches in Waterford. From near and far people are rediscovering New London - Please join the fun.

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Let us show you the world in style. Our wine tastings & dinners take you globe trotting, sampling the food and wine of the world, each delicious course paired with the perfect wine. Our special guests and meet the winemaker series offer a one-of-a-kind experience. Join the fun - make your reservations early. ··· Garde Arts Center - Tuesday July 1 2008 - 5:30PM Expo, Stage Presentation, Refreshments. Hear New London's exciting plans for the upcoming year; meet & network with New London organizations & businesses; participate in shaping the future of New London & the region. 5:30 PM a the Garde Arts Center. More info: NLMS, 860-444-2489. More Info Here Friday July 4: The Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas Cruise Ship. Our Deck is the perfect place to see the ship - reserve a table now. Come see the largest cruise ship ever to visit New London! 'Meet and greet' tourists from around the world. Port Of New London Here ··· July 5: ART ATTACK! Seven Galleries, Ten Storefronts, and Hundreds of Artists team-up for ART ATTACK! with food, music, exhibitions, circus performers, the Mystic Paper Beasts, street art and more, 6:00 - 10:00 pm, Including Hygienic Art, MUSE, Golden Street Gallery, Studio 33, ALVA Gallery, Yah-Ta-Hey, 140 Below and the TSETSE Gallery with music by the Cosmic Jibaros at the Hygienic Art Park. FREE! Info: 860-437-6293 ··· July 12: Sailfest The biggest, baddest show of the year! 10,000 calories, fireworks, and much more at New London's 31st annual Sailfest with spectacular spectaculars and much, much more! LEARN MORE HERE

Dave's Fave The Monday Tasting Click on the photo to order it now Bodegas Carrau Tannat de Reserva 2004 $12 We're always keeping an eye out for good Pinots under $20, which, it turns out, can be few and far between... We're picky about them, being big Burgundy snobs and whatnot, but when we find them you'll actually get wines which display Pinot Noir's elegant wildberry tones. At the moment we've got three - Mandolin from California, Latour's Valmoissine from France, and now this little number from the Marlborough growing region in New Zealand. Bright acidity and great brambly raspberry notes make it a little zingier than the other two at this price. I liked it, I picked it, now Jim says it's my job to sell it. I'll open a bottle Monday afternoon and let it sell itself, please stop in after work!

** SPECIAL THURSDAY TASTING** Wine Tasting Please Join Us Thursday July 3 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge Can't Make It To The Tasting? - Order it now - click on the photos The State of Connecticut mandates that Thames River Wine and Spirits be closed for the holiday. Not to be deterred, we are Moving the wine tasting to Thursday night, and will feature one of those "Really expensive, famous wines with really high scores that you only get to drink once a year" If you were hoping to be drinking them under an August sun, now is the time to stock up, they will not last long on our shelves. 1 - Babcock Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills 2005 $22 One of California's brightest stars in the field of winemaking is Bryan Babcock. Not only was Bryan selected by the Los Angeles Times as one of the "Ten Best Winemakers of the Year", he was also named by this influential daily as "Most Courageous Winemaker of the Year" for his daring style. Since 1984 Bryan has been producing wines of exceptional quality from his family owned winery located on the far western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley in northern Santa Barbara County. The prestigious James Beard Foundation chose Bryan as one of the "Top Ten Small Production Winemakers in the World," the only American chosen for this oenological dream team. In choosing Bryan for this award, David Moore wrote, "Bryan Babcock best exemplifies the traits I look for in a great winemaker. The quality of Bryan's wines speak for themselves, yet it is his personal commitment to excellence that stands out so much. His relentless experimentation, his willingness to explore the possibilities with so many grape varieties, and his aesthetic are a world apart from the usual American approach to winemaking." 2 - Crios Rose of Malbec 2007 $12 A beautiful, deep, vibrant rosé color. Has a surprising amount of glycerin and body for a rosé wine, and beautiful aromas of fresh, ripe wild strawberries. Produced using the traditional "saignee" method of bleeding off lightly colored juice during the fermentation, in this case of old-vine Malbec. On the palate, the flavors of strawberries and cherries come rushing in, accompanied by some spice notes and a clean, dry finish. This is the wine to serve with warm-weather meals when there is a mix of traditional white & red wine foods. Keep one in the fridge at all times and you'll always have a delicious wine to enjoy with light snacks and cheeses. 3 - Fattoria dei Barbi Morellino di Scansano 2005 $18 The Colombini family has had properties in Montalcino since 1352 and has owned the Fattoria dei Barbi since 1790. The vineyards cover an area of 100 hectares, approximately 35% of the whole estate. The exposure is east, south-east and the soil type is composed prevalently of Galestro (stony) with small components of mud and clay, only a minor part of it has a relevant presence of eocenic sands. This 100% Sangiovese red wine comes from the southern part of Tuscany. It is a full-bodied wine, with a good tannic structure balanced by a lively freshness. The making of Morellino goes back centuries but today its approach is very modern and pleasurable. Has a brilliant and intense ruby red color with an ample and persistent bouquet of plum and red berry tones. The taste is full and pleasant with velvety tannin and a long finish. 4 - Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2004 $68 Wine Spectator 93pts, Robert Parker. 91pts, Steven Tanzer 92pts (2005 also in stock, $75, W.S. 96 pts.) Currently considered the face of Chilean wine, not simply for it's mind bending quality, but also for it's distinctive use of Carmenere. Carmenere, as you may remember from our previous e-mails, is the lost grape of Bordeaux, that is now grown almost exclusively in Chile. By using over 80% Carmenere, Clos Apalta has broken with the tradition of making Bordeaux style wines in Chile, and instead made a wine that is distinctly Chilean and could have come from no where else. In the process they have defined the wine of an entire country. The wine is described by the winery as " Deep Ruby with Purple Shadows and an Intense Purity of Fruit" Yum ! Lets thumb our noses at The Man - Join Us Thursday Night - and kick off the holiday weekend in style. We hope to see you then. Please Call Us Anytime With Questions - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend. We hope to see you this Thursday for a special tasting and a great kick off to the Holiday Weekend. AAA.

Clos La Coutale Cahors,Vincent Dureuil-Janthial Rully, Crios Rose of Malbec,Thierry Puzelat PN, Chateau de Pez

ThamesRiver.com
Visit All Stores Here
Thames River Greenery - Thames River Wine & Spirits - Brie & Bleu - City News - Import
Greetings from all of us in New London. A great line up for Friday night awaits you, including a big name from France. You will find our list and interesting details from our "Rush Chairman" Jim Morrison, just below a few items of news & information.

NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

O V E R W O R K E D ? 1 - Are you among the unsung heroes that toil endlessly to make the boss look good? Or maybe you are lucky enough to have the support of these hard working elf's. Get out your calendars and mark down Wednesday April 23. That my friends is Administrative Professionals Day. We have a lot of ways to say "Thank You." In every combination you might imagine. Order early for timely deliveries. 2 - Passover is just around the corner. We have listened specifically to your requests regarding Kosher Wine. The two wines featured here are the big favorites. We have a nice selection that is universally considered to be the best available in Connecticut. In stock, and ready for pickup or delivery. Baron Herzog Barkan Cellars 1 - Baron Herzog Special Reserve Chardonnay - $30 2 - Baron Herzog Sparkling - $12 3 - Barkan Cellars Cabernet - $12 4 - Barkan Cellars Merlot - $12 If you have additional questions about Passover selections just give us a call - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3 3 - "Cult" Pinot Noir Dinner - Wednesday April 30 - 6 p.m. Open Seating Plan - $75 plus tax & service. The magic of Pinot Noir & weather permitting the deck will be open. We will host a night that will feature some of the most elusive and sought after names in the wine business. The details of the seasonal menu and the wine list will be posted here and of the Calendar of events page - H E R E 4 - If you missed it in Sunday's Day newspaper - we uncovered a relic from the 1920's - and there was a nice picture of it in the Region Section PICTURE HERE Thanks to The Day for noticing our discovery.

Dave's Fave
Special Monday Tasting

Click on the photo to order it now

Clos La Coutale Cahors 2005 $16

This is another "don't forget about me" wine which has been roosting in the cellar for about six months... Cahors is situated East of Bordeaux in Southwestern France, only one red wine comes out of this small village, primarily made from Auxerois, the Malbec grape which is used sparingly in Bordeaux. Cahors wines tend toward dark plumminess with spice and tobacco. French Malbec with 20% Merlot - dark and complex with only 12.5% alcohol (definitely a different animal than Argentinian Malbec). A Kermit Lynch selection, right up my alley and under twenty bucks!

Quick beer note: We now stock seven styles in bombers fresh from Berkshire Brewing: Steel Rail Pale Ale, Lost Sailor India Pale Ale, Coffeehouse Porter, Gold Spike Ale, Maibock Lager, Shabadoo Black & Tan, and limited edition Raspberry Barleywine-Ale!!

Can't Make It To The Tasting? - Click Photos & Get It Now!


1 - Vincent Dureuil-Janthial Rully 1er Cru " Montpalais" 2006 - $40
Last year I drank all of this myself. Every time I asked myself what I wanted to drink, the answer always came back Dureuil-Janthial Rully 1er Cru. The wine was like Grand Cru Champagne without the bubbles, concentrated fruit with searing acidity wrapped in chalky Burgundian minerality. And then it was gone. I've been hounding our sales rep for a year now and the new vintage is finally here. But how will it taste? 2006 was a tough year in Burgundy, with many producers losing 80% of their crop to hail. Only the best wine makers, with steady hands, and strict sorting, made wine worth discussing. The following are excerpts from an e-mail in response to my inquiry from Clake Boehling the French Portfolio Manager from Michael Skurnik Wine Importers ;

"I cannot express to you how UTTERLY PHENOMENAL Vincent Dureuil's 2006s are. We tasted the full lineup in France , and I have to say that it was the most convincing case for Vincent's greatness I have ever encountered. As much as you may have heard me crow about it already, you need to understand that these wines really do SHAME so many wines from the Cote d'Or.

The 06 Rully Blanc "Montpalais" comes on like a great upper-slope Meursault, with sweet herbal butter notes on the nose and a really precise and absurdly mineral palate. I'm serious when I say it tastes like a Roulot, and if you know me, that is incredibly high praise indeed. And I think that Dureuil makes the best Aligote on earth, no question.

Also, you're almost never (save for perhaps Dominique Lafon!) find a winemaker as adept at making both colors of Burgundy as Vincent. I can say with peace of mind that your real Burg lovers will be very, very sorry to miss out on these wines, even more so given their pricing in the unstable economy."


2 - Crios Rose of Malbec $12
A very big Rosé, done in the tradition of big Argentine wines. The wine maker Susana Balbo bleeds the Rosé off as she makes her old vine Malbec. And as you might imagine, the Rosé mirrors the Malbec, bone dry with lots of fruit and exotic spices. The wine is so big and dry, that it's closer to a light bodied red than any other Rosé I know. Remember, only mad dogs and Englishmen drink red wine in the noonday sun, and summer will come, and you will need a good, dry Rosé to serve at your backyard barbeque.




3 - Thierry Puzelat PN $22
This wine comes to us from our friend Joe Dressner, and like all Dressner wines, it is not only organic, but biodynamic. It is also, like all Dressner wines, very poorly labeled. There is no appellation, grape variety, or year of production. There is a picture of something on the label but I'm not sure what it is. The bottle merely says P N . As you might imagine all of this obfuscation only whets my appetite, especially since I'm well acquainted with the palate of Mr. Joe Dressner. The wine maker here has clearly abandoned all reason in making this wine, it is unusual and strange, in fact it frightens me a little bit. As you drink, a wave of high toned floral notes, lilies, violets, lilac, envelope your entire head. Concentrated raspberry, and a touch of spice, penetrate your tongue, all the while hard rock minerality dances against your cheeks. And then there it is, like a gentle breeze at your back, the smell of a monkey, down by the river, cleaning himself on a hot wet rock.





4 - Chateau de Pez Bordeaux 2005 $52
As much as I rail against Bordeaux prices (Cheval Blanc $1250 a bottle this year in Ct.), I have to admit to really being impressed with the wine recently. Maybe it was that 1982 Ch Marbuzet last month (thanks Hank!) or that 1981 Leoville Las Cases last week (thanks Hans!). Bottles of wine like that are filled with so much romanticism it is easy to get carried away. Despite what the wine press may say, there are few places on earth that produce wine with a demonstrated ability to not simply withstand time, but to improve and evolve with age. Bordeaux is also the only region on earth that can produce such great wine in such vast quantities. Napa can't get the quality, (or not that quality, ageability ) and Burgundy or Barolo could never get the volume. What we are left with then is the Cult of Bordeaux, and that's fine by me. I drank the kool aide, now I'm ready to drink more wine. The 2005 vintage is all it's cracked up to be. A combination of classicism and approachability, structure and generous fruit. Such a good year in fact that even a humble "Cru Bourgeois" like the de Pez is a dramatic wine that will take your breath away while it fills your mouth with fruit and gravel and hints at what is to come ten, twenty years from now.

Thanks very much for your support we appreciate it.
We value all of your comments and suggestions - we are listening.

In the coming weeks you can look forward to more special guests, new menu items, and one of a kind events all based on your input.

We hope to see you this week. Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.

AAA.