Explorer of The Seas, U.S. Open, Jonathan Edward's, Mas Cal Demoura, Grand Cuvee de La Mision, Viña Maquis Calcu,

Explorer of The Seas

Coming to New London Harbor.

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.ThamesRiver.com


The big Labor Weekend is here - and we have a nice line up of wine to go with it on Friday night - we hope you can join us.
The list is just below a couple of items of news and interest.


• Thanks to New York Times wine writer Eric Asimov for spreading the word about us and our WineRadio project. He is obviously a very gifted writer that is underpaid by The Times - Eric Asimov: asimov@nytimes.com

• Thanks to Mike Bowers for hosting a brilliant Scotch and Cigar tasting on our deck last week - really outstanding. Remember - you can have your own Big Smoke & tasting too - you just have to ask. - 860-443-9463.

• Seats for our Endless Summer - Wednesday night wine dinners are still available for some nights. Please call to reserve - 860-443-9463

• The excitement for this coming Saturday night is building every minute -
As many of you know, our deck will be one of the key vantage points for viewing the Royal Caribbean Explorer of The Seas when it arrives in port on Saturday. This is the largest ship to ever make port in New London. It will not fit under the Gold Star Bridge.
The scheduled departure and the required "ballet" for moving the ship back out to sea is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Our very own Cruise Director - Jim Morrison -
thought that Italy's answer to sparkling wine might be the perfect fit.
For your viewing pleasure - we will have a prosecco tasting that starts at 6 p.m. and extended food service if the ship leaves after regular hours.
If you missed the story about the ship - here is a link: http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=cc512dcf-7054-482f-96e8-6bc82d78c1be


• Tennis fans know that Monday is the start of the U.S. Open -
But If your not heading out Flushing Meadows - our very own "Rock Star Dave Anderson"
is ready with a Monday selection.

Dave's Fave
Monday Wine Tasting - No Charge

Prazo de Roriz Duoro 2005 $16
Dave Says:
"Ever since Jim went to Portugal we've been touting the brilliance and value of Duoro still wines - made from the same grapes as Port
(lots of Tourigas and Tintos), these reds are have stayed under the radar with flavors that outclass their price range.

A few clever patrons have organized their own blind under-$15 tastings and we slip them Vale do Bomfim Duoro as The Ringer...
Prazo de Roriz, The Sleeper, is a deeply fruity and velvety Duoro which you may not have tried yet. Come in on Monday for a sip and see what you think!"


Friday August 31
Wine Tasting - Please Join Us - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Jonathan Edwards Connecticut Chardonnay 2006 $19
Our good friends at Jonathan Edward's have released their second vintage of their Connecticut Chardonnay. Lots of people thought that it was fool hardy to plant grapes up in the woods of Stonington - well they were wrong.
This wine makes a significant statement about the will and determination of a family run enterprise and the wine speaks for itself.

Very bright, fruit forward citrus bouquet of green apples and lemons, with light nuances of smoky vanilla oak from their large French barrels.
This silky smooth, easy drinking wine pairs perfectly with seafood and fresh cheeses or is excellent all by itself on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Please try it on Friday night. And you have never seen the vineyard, what are you waiting for? It is worth the drive.
Take a look: http://www.jedwardswinery.com/

2 - Viña Maquis - Calcu red wine 2005 $12 - from Chile
The Rivadeniera-Hurtado family has owned the Viña Maquis vineyard for more than a century, but it wasn’t until ten years ago that the family decided to make their own wine out of the terrific grapes in their own backyard. They built a gorgeous, state-of-the-art gravity flow winery and set out to make “Super Chilean” blend using the vineyard’s best red grapes.
Winemakers artfully blend the mineral notes and fresh acidity of grapes from the Andes foothills with the ripe tannins and red fruit from the center of the valley, and add richness and body from grapes grown closer to the Pacific Ocean. The resulting wine is lightly oaked, allowing the grapes’ natural, fresh fruit character to shine through. The price of this wine is impossible to beat, and like many of the wines coming from South America it is a great value.


3 - Grand Cuvee de La Mision 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon $16 - from Chile
One of the keys to Chile's success and singularity lies in the fact that historically, it is one of the oldest wine producing countries of the New World. The first recorded Chilean vineyards were created by Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century, long before the familiar regions of Europe developed the wine styles for which they so well known today.

The Central Valley is also the single vineyard region where highly rated French varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, were preserved with their original clones from the pre-phylloxera era - This is a big wine but because of the many months of aging and the exacting attention to detail that is given to this vineyard this wine is open and expressive, a wine made in the tradition of the great wines of Bordeaux. When you taste this wine on Friday night it will open your eyes to the quality and the value that is coming to us from South America.


4 - Mas Cal Demoura Coteaux du Languedoc "L'Infidèle" $30
"A N I M A L I S T I C" -
This is how the wine was described by one of the people that are "in the know."
Other experts also said "Very distinctive spicy, the nose is intense. The palate is vividly fruited with a pronounced spiciness and some roast coffee character. Bold and distinctive. Very good."
I'm not sure that its possible to have that kind of fun for just thirty dollars - you be the judge.
Please try it on Friday night.

Thanks very much for all of the email, calls, and for your support - we appreciate it.
Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.

We'll see you on the Lido Deck.



AAA.

Endless Summer, Ice Road Truckers, Penfolds RWT 2002, Lucien Crochet La Croix du Roy, Ostertag Pinot Blanc, Valdivieso

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.ThamesRiver.com


A great line up of wine for Friday night - the list is just below a couple of items of interest.

• It was a lot of fun this past week - dinners and tastings, visitors from other lands, and it was all topped off by the kind of weather that gives people that live on the Connectricut shoreline bragging rights. Thanks to everyone that was a part of it.

• We have to start this week by saying thank you to everyone that attended the Taste of Chesapeake Maryland Cuisine Dinner -
And especially to Chef Buddy Suek - it was a night to remember. Buddy was able to preside over the evening with panache and skill and has ruined any chance of finding crab cakes that will match what he served that night without driving to Maryland. Thanks.

• This time of year brings a lot of change with it - for us it means changing menus, new portfolio tastings, and new faces, and New London offers a variety of activities for everyone with events like Boats, Books, Brushes, Jazz & Blues - for details go here: http://newlondonmainstreet.org/events/bbjb2007.php



• Our Wednesday dinners welcome back Anne Haviland
starting this week -
Endless Summer Wine Dinners -
The Search For The Perfect Wine.
Anne sources all of the fruits, vegetables, and deserts from local farms and markets and of course there is wine served with each course.
Seating is limited - $50 plus tax and service -
please reserve early - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3


Here are a few highlights:
8/22 - Herb Rubbed Sirloin
With local Farmers Market greens for the salad with roasted hazelnuts, bing cherries, and St Marcellin cheese.
The steak is local from Old Lyme's Four Mile River Farm, and native peaches grilled with Mascarpone for dessert.
9/5 - Grilled Veal Chops with fresh basil gremolata.
9/12 - Butterflied Leg of Lamb with tomato fennel vinaigrette
9/19 - Grilled Salmon with green olive relish and capers.

August 29 - Cult Wine Dinner Series - Pinot Noir - Sold Out - Thank you.

Dave's Fave - Monday Tasting
Domaine Monpertuis Cotes du Rhone 2005 $16
Dave Says:
"I know your first question - how can a bass player afford to drink wine from one of the most prestigious houses in France? And the second: "You mean I too can taste the 2005 vintage already?"
Answer one: We tasted the Monpertuis Chateauneuf du Pape and it blew us away. Just a bit out of my price range though... Luckily, they make sub-$20 table wine - when I saw this Cotes du Rhone I jumped all over it and it's AWESOME.
Answer two: that's right - the big 2005 guns haven't been released yet, but judging by their little brother here, the vintage should live up to the hype!

Wine Tasting Please Join Us Friday August 24 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Valdivieso reserve Chardonnay 2004 $15
Viña Valdivieso dates back to 1879 when Alberto Valdivieso founded Champagne Valdivieso, the first company in Chile and South America to make sparkling wine. More than a hundred years later in the late 1980s, the company expanded in a new direction when it began commercial production of still wines, as Viña Valdivieso, in their Curicó Valley winery in Lontué. This wine puts the potential of the Casablanca Valley on display, with the complex and intense flavor and structure from the slow ripening that is possible in the coastal climate. This is a nice, full bodied New World Chardonnay with appley/lemony fruit and a touch of spice and a bite of acidity.
Great value for money - try it on Friday - even if you always say "I don't like chardonnay."

2 - Ostertag Pinot Blanc 2004 $20
This particular wine has routinely been rated in the high 80's and it is a Kermit Lynch selection - I would have to say that we routinely rate the Kermit Lynch wines at the top of our charts. The back story: Andre Ostertag studied in Burgundy and on his return decided to cut the yield on the estate from 120 hectolitres of wine per hectare to a mere 50! Since 1998 the 13-hectare estate has been run along biodynamic principles and the grapes are hand-harvested. The low yields and care taken in the vineyard make for fantastic wine quality.

"Since young Andre Ostertag took over his family's vineyards, he has done everything except shoot the directore of CIVA. (Committee Interprofessionnel du Vins d'Alsace.) He is both admired and avoided within Alsace itself for his open-minded, green-minded quality-conscious philosophy, which results in wines that range from sensational to positively bizarre. I cannot remember ever having an ordinary or uninteresting wine from this producer, although not a few have shocked me, for even his failures are extraordinary. I have never had an Ostertag wine that lacked richness, but in his search for the ultimate style by using only the most natural of means and through the severe restriction of yield, his efforts have occasionally created wines that have been curiously balanced, over opulent or excessively oaky." - Kermit Lynch. - - This is really a great example of handcrafted quality. Please try it on Friday night.

3 - Lucien Crochet Sancerre Rouge " La Croix du Roy" 2004 $35
The Crochet domaine evolved through the marriage of the Crochet and Picard families, and began vineyards in the Sancerre district as early as 1765.
It was the great-grandfather of Lucien Crochet who first installed that part of the family in the region and it was in 1934 that the first bottling of wines occurred at the domaine. The domaine now is under the direction of Lucien Crochet and his son, Gilles. The 2001 Lucien Crochet Sancerre La Croix du Roy was rated 89 points by Steven Tanzer - "Bright, pale color. Highly complex, musky nose hints at quinine, underripe peach and flowers. Pure and penetrating; very dry but nicely ripe and not at all rigid. Shows a strong grapefruit flavor - Classic Sancerre."
This is imported in very small numbers, something like 1500 cases for the entire country - we have it, and I hope you will try it this week.

4 - Penfolds RWT 2002 $85 Red Winemaking Trial www.penfolds.com
The name of Penfolds brings people out of the woodwork. The vineyard holds so many awards and high scoring numbers that it is almost impossible to list them all. And they deserve the accolades. This is one of the wines that has made Australian wine production famous and a world leader. This is a lot of money for a bottle of wine - however, it is still a bargain. They have been making wine for over 160 years and you can taste the expertise in every glass.
This will go quickly, don't wait until the last minute to try it.


Thanks for all of the support - we appreciate it.

This is a great time of year - remember, you can always set your TiVo to record that marathon of Ice Road Truckers - get out of the house, and come into town.

Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.
Please say hello the next time you are in the store.


AAA.

Montecillo Rioja Crianza, Ceretto Arneis "Blange" , Tenuta San Leone Bardolino Superiore, Perrini Primitivo, Mas de Can Blau, Juan Gil

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.ThamesRiver.com


We will get right to the list of wine for Friday night - just below these items of interest.

• August 15 - A Taste of Chesapeake Maryland Cuisine - Sold Out, Thank you.

• The Scotch & Cigar evening on Thursday August 23 is Sold Out - Thank You.

• For those of you that have been waiting: The 2002 Penfolds Grange has just arrived. It took a modest price increase and is now $255 a bottle just 6 bottles available - first come, first served.



Dave's Fave - Monday Tasting - 8/13/07
"Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2003 $12

Dave Says: "This takes me back to the days when my buddy Patrick and I would sit around broke with a bottle or two of Montecillo, a hunk of cheese and a crusty baguette for dinner. The murky midwinter boredom would slowly lift as the Rioja kicked in and we reviewed the great Miles Davis quintets. Ahh, but that was a simpler time, back in 2004.

This little number was still in oak casks way back then (for the "Crianza" designation, reds must see a minimum two years age --one in oak and one in the bottle). It's a spicy, lighter-bodied Tempranillo, ruby red and smoky. Come on in and try a taste Monday afternoon!"

Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday August 17 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Ceretto Arneis "Blange" 2006 $18
This is a traditional Piemontese white with a twist. Arneis produces a wine with very low acidity in good years and virtually no acidity at all in off years. Italians are not used to this, and to correct the problem Ceretto ferments the wine in sealed tanks that capture the CO2 given off. This CO2 is kept with the wine until bottling, and the wine consequently has a light sparkle to it that makes it considerably livelier than it would be otherwise.
Wine Makers Notes: "It's a pale greenish yellow, and has a surprisingly delicate bouquet, with some pleasant yeasty smells from the sparkle, and also hints of butterscotch. On the palate it is zesty, with nice fruit, and rather tart -- an impression produced by the CO2, because once it has bubbled away the acidity is much reduced. The finish is clean, with faint butterscotch notes. Again, a wine for fish, though in this case things that are not quite so elaborate -- say grilled sea bass. I think it would also go well with vegetable-based dishes. Clean fresh fruits with nuances of lemon zeal. Bright flavors and powerful, with a long elegant finish."

2 - Tenuta San Leone Bardolino Superiore 2005 $14
Italian Verone Winemaker Luigi Rizzi ages this wine with double the skin contact to produce a rich, supple wine with more plumpness and flavor than you would ever expect! This is a great value - and it deserves your attention on Friday night.

3 - Perrini Primitivo 2004 $16
The ancient ancestor of Zinfandel from southern Italy, the immigration from this part of southern Italy to California in the 19th and early 20th c. is the reason that California has such old Zinfandel vines . People brought what they had and over the years Primitivo evolved into Zinfandel. This wine is certified organic by ICEA. It has smooth cherry and blackberry aromas and an easy finish - enjoy it on friday night.

4 - Mas de Can Blau 2004 $45 - Rated 92 points -
POW! - this is a show stopper from Spain. And even at $45 it is a steal.
This is what Robert Parker's Wine Advocate said about this wine:
"The 2004 Mas de Can Blau, the first vintage of this cuvee, comes from the estate’s oldest Carinena, Garnacha, and Syrah vines. It received malolactic fermentation in barrel, was aged for 20 months in new French oak, and bottled unfiltered. Dark ruby/purple-colored, it offers a flamboyant nose of pain grille, scorched earth, tar, and kirsch. Full-bodied with a supple texture, the wine has layers of sweet fruit, nicely integrated oak, tannin, and acidity, in its racy personality. Drink this outgoing wine over the next 8-10 years." Be sure to try this wine on Friday night.

While I am on the subject of Spanish wine - I want to mention that we have recently received the 2005 vintage of a particular favorite of ours.
The 2005 Juan Gil is on the shelf and it is amazing. Robert Parker has consistently rated this wine in the 90's, and this vintage will be no exception.
We had the pleasure of being in Spain at the vineyard in Jumilla when the first grapes for the 2005 vintage arrived at the bodega for crushing.
(see photos here: http://thamesriver.com/wine/photos.html ) -
Visit their website here: http://www.juangil.es/ing/index.htm

We were standing in the warm sunshine and the tarp covering the old wooden wagon was pulled back. Vineyard owner Miguel Gil plucked a few grapes from the pile and handed them to us. We all ate the sweet, juicy, warm fruit - and I remember thinking to myself that "these are the best grapes I have ever tasted" - Then, Miguel looked at us and said that these were the best grapes he had tasted in the last ten years - "this will be a great vintage" - he said.

At $16 a bottle it has to be one of the best values we have ever offered. Ask for it, give it a try, you will not be disappointed. And as you take that first sip or two, imagine that you are standing in the warm spanish sunshine - it feels so good, don't you agree?

Thanks for all of your support - we appreciate it.

We have new programs and events that are about to be posted - please keep your eye on the Calendar & Events page of the website, and of course right here in the weekly email.

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




AAA.

Carmen Reserve, Chateau Montelena, Arcadian Sleepy Hollow, K Vintners Milbrandt Syrah

Greetings from all of us in New London,
Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474
IMPORT - 860-443-6817
www.ThamesRiver.com

Staying cool this week was a chore - BUT
people found it easy with a glass of wine in our cool dark cellar.
We have a great line up for Friday, including some very hard to find Pinot Noir -
The list is just below a few items of interest.

• Remember that Books, Tugs, & Sails is coming on Saturday August 11 - from 11 - 6 p.m.
Meet the authors, see the boats, lots to do and see for the whole family.
I would like to mention one author in particular. Anna Troiano - about a year ago at one of our wine dinners, she said to me that she was writing a children's book. Well she finished it: Mystical MerFairies is on the shelf and if you get the chance please visit her at the event. And check out her website here: http://storiesbyanna.com/

Books, Tugs, & Sails Website: http://newlondonmainstreet.org/events/fishtales2007.php

• August 15 - A Taste of Chesapeake Maryland Cuisine - Sold Out, thank you.

• Join us on Wednesday the 22nd.
That's when our own Anne Haviland returns with Herb Rubbed Four Mile River Farm Sirloin, and a host of Farmers Market goodies to satisfy.
Of course there will be wine with each course - seating is limited - please call early to reserve - 860-443-9463

Dave's Fave - Monday Wine Tasting
Zeni Pinot Grigio Ramato $12
Dave:
"That's not a typo - our everpresent favorite Italian blush had a price drop and it's the exact same delicious wine it's always been!
Fear not the pink wine folks, this a fun crisp summer bottle, still bone dry, just a little weightier and fruity than it's yellow brethren.
A couple weeks ago a woman came into the shop and exclaimed, "I've only seen this before in Italy! I asked around and people told me there was no such thing..." Ohhh but there is such a thing, available in Italy and right here in New London. Try it Monday afternoon, the tasting starts whenever you show up!"


Wine Tasting Please Join Us
Friday August 10 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Carmen Reserve Chardonnay 2004 $12 www.carmen.com
Viña Carmen was founded in 1850 by Christian Lanz, who named the winery in honor to his beloved wife Carmen. Carmen has been recognised for its quality and for being a pioneer in the Chilean wine industry. Today, Viña Carmen is one of the most important Chilean wineries in the premium wine segment. A bright yellow green color. Nice aromas of mango, melon, lime and grapefruits with touches of toast and vanilla. Soft and ripe fruits; plenty of tropical fruits flavors and a mineral acidity. A nice concentration and a long finish. Light and creamy cheeses, pastas with vegetable sauces, backed fish as seabass and of course seafood.

2 - Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2005 $40 www.montelena.com
In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California at the forefront of the wine world. That year a who's-who of the French wine and food establishment gathered for a grand tasting at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Paris. Four white Burgundies were tasted against six California Chardonnays. When the scores were tallied, the French Judges were convinced that the top-ranking white wine was one of their own. In fact, it was Chateau Montelena's 1973 Chardonnay, rated above all other wines.
Winemaker's Notes:
"The 2005 Vintage was excellent for ripening weather, crop yield and juice quality resulting in ideal conditions for flavor and fruit chemistry development. In fact, for the entire season we enjoyed a very mild and overall good weather pattern. In the end it was a fun, smooth running and all-around great harvest where everything just clicked."

3 - Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir 2001 $50
According to the winery there are only TWO restaurants in the state that offer this wine.
It is very hard to find.
Rated 90+ points by Steven Tanzer

Famed winemaker Joe Davis recently said this about his wine and his competitors:
"They're making Anna Nicole Smith, we're making Michelle Pfeiffer".
Or his wry smile as he recounts an old French saying -
"Cabernet throws you down and rips your clothes off, and pinot noir subtly convinces you to take them off yourself."

Arcadian makes some of the most elegant and feminine wines the Central Coast has to offer.
We are pleased to bring you this carefully selected, collectible wine.
Please try it on Friday night.
It will go fast, so keep that in mind as you make your plans for the night - stop by early.


4 - K Vintners Milbrandt Syrah 2004 $36
Wine Spectator rated this wine 89 points. Wine Enthusiast gave it 91 points.
Only 720 cases of this were produced -
thats it, for the entire world - and we have some right here.
But wait, it gets better - they actually stomp these grapes by foot!
The Seattle Times: "Another aromatic and pure expression of tangy berry fruit, enlivened with scents of smoke, meat and black olive.
Balanced and taut, supple and delicious."

We have been fans of this vineyard for a long time - they know what hey are doing and they set the bar very high for what they are producing.
I encourage you to try this on Friday night - it will not disappoint.


Thanks for all of your support - we appreciate it.

We hope to see you on Friday night -
Please Join Us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.


AAA.