Joe Dressner, Clos Des Briords, Chateau d' Oupia Minervois, Chateau le Bosq, Chateau Pibran, Hugel Dinner

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

It is a short holiday week for us - so just a few items of interest before we list the wine for Friday night. New London was enjoying the long warm days all this week. There was theater in the Hygenic Art Park, music in the plaza, and lots of action in the restaurants. Take Brie & Bleu for example - If there was a better place to enjoy a glass of wine - by the way we are serving Calera Pinot Noir by the glass right now - and a remarkable selection of cheese, while looking out at the harbor - I want to know about it.

• Shawn Colvin at The Garde Arts Center Saturday October 20th -
Tickets and information here: www.gardearts.org

• New London's Fall Food Stroll Wednesday, October 17, 2007, 5:30-8:30 PM - http://newlondonmainstreet.org/events/fallfoodstroll2007.php

• Hygenic Creep Show Opening - October 13

• Meet The Wine Maker - Special Event: -.
Ten Seats Only - First come, first served -
Wine Dinner Monday October 29th 6pm $75 - plus tax and service.
Etienne Hugel - 12th generation wine maker will sit with us, eat with us and share his family's passion for producing some of the greatest wines in the world. The wines of the Alsace region of France are very special and the Hugel name is at the top of that group. Watch the Calendar of Events page for more details - but do not wait to make your reservations -
8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3

• Last week we were invited to the Slocum and Sons wine show at the Mohegan Sun. It is an annual slug-fest with hundreds of people pushing into the giant ballrooms trying to find some free food and a place to sit down - It is not for the squeamish. There are a few redeeming aspects though - and one of them is getting to meet and talk with industry experts. If one seeks them out it can be a "Yoda" like experience. Here are a few lines from our own Jim Morrison's note book - as he was able to meet and talk with Joe Dressner, a wine industry star.

"...I had my annual encounter with Joe Dressner. The room was full of the usual suspects, Duckhorn, Cliquot, Latour, but I came away feeling that this strange man from Queens New York was the future of the wine business. Joe simply puts the emphasis on wine instead of brands. He looks for wines that are made someplace , by somebody, a radical concept in today's mass produced wine market. All of his wines are organic and Biodynamic, and now Joe is searching out vineyards with clonal diversity. "Why would I want a vineyard of clones, when you could have a vineyard of thousands of individuals, producing unique flavors in a unique location? It's the essence of Terroir......."
This guy it way ahead of the curve - His web site is a must read for anyone with an interest in wine and a sense of humor. www.joedressner.com

Wine Tasting Please Join Us -
Friday October 12 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Clos Des Briords Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2006 $15
100% Muscadet from the western Loire Valley, fermented "sur lie" - that's a fancy way of saying they keep the wine in the barrel (on the lees or sur lie) all winter, this allows the wine's aromas, body and texture to develop, and the carbonic gas produced by this process imparts a liveliness on the palate. Only wines made from the best vineyards are permitted to use the Sur Lie designation. Absolutely perfect for seafood and shellfish - Including this recipe, that we managed to steal from the private recipe box of Dr. Henry Mann:

"Saute garlic and a small chopped onion slowly; add chopped fresh tomatoes and let it simmer; add 1/2 to one bottle of dry white wine. Add some fresh or dried thyme, Chile garlic paste, and a 1/4 cup of Pernod and you could add a little saffron. I also might add some Vietnamese fish sauce. Cook it until it is perfect and correct seasoning. Then cook the mussels for a very short time, stopping as soon as mot of them are open."

Please try the wine this Friday night - and if you want to spice up your weekend - try the recipe too. You'll note that the exact measurements were not on the dog-eared copy of the Dr's stained 3x5 inch card - just cook with your heart, you will know when it is right.


2 - Chateau d' Oupia Minervois 2006 $14
This is another Joe Dressner Selection. Robert Parker has consistently praised this estate and rated the wine a “best buy.” He wrote:
“Château d'Oupia has produced the ideal bistro wine. Dark, ruby-colored, the wine is wonderfully clean and pure, with an exuberant personality, and gobs of rich, peppery, red and black fruit...Bravo to proprietor André Iché!”
Minervois is Languedoc in southern france. Comprised of Carignan , Syrah and Greanache. The wine has also been called " the ultimate bistro wine".
Created in a magnificent 13th century Chateau - this is the "Real McCoy" folks, please try it on Friday night.

3 - Chateau le Bosq 2003 $32
Robert Parker has rated this wine in the high 88/90 category -
Their commitment to exceptional quality is relentless.
Chateau Le Bosq is one of the great classics in the St. Estephe appellation. when you close your eyes and imagine a french chateau - this is the picture that you see. The Chateau itself is a majestic building built at the end of the 18th century, with one of the facades facing the vines, and the other giving a magnificent view of the Gironde estuary. 1996 saw a great deal of further investment at the Chateau including the complete renovation of the vinification complex. Talk about a food wine - this is perfect with roast turkey, bread stuffing and giblet gravy, leg of lamb with a rosemary, lemon, garlic, and roasted potatoes or the traditional roasted rib-eye steak with herbed mustard sauce and root vegetables - Start thinking Thanksgiving - and you will want this on your table. This is a pretty, elegant wine, with attractive berry and cherry aromas. Spicy, with a fine medium body, silky tannins and a long fleshy finish.
Gotta have it.

4 - Chateau Pibran 2003 $42
Rated 87/89 point by the Wine Advocate Situated on a beautiful rocky quartenary hillside, close to such presitigous neighbours as Mouton-Rothschild, Pontet-Canet and Lynch-Bages, the Château Pibran estate has benefitted from a thorough restructuring, including big dollar investment from it's owners.
Here is what Robert Parker said about this wine: "From a vineyard situated on the high plateau of Pauillac, near both Pontet-Canet and Mouton Rothschild, this blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon reveals excellent cassis fruit, impressive ripeness, good sweetness and depth on the palate, and a long, concentrated finish. A potential sleeper of the vintage, there are, sadly, only 5,000 cases."
This is a pricey bottle - but the holidays are just around the corner - consider adding a few bottles to your collection, you can dole it out carefully to the visiting relatives, or just snuggle up with someone special and share a great bottle of wine and a memorable experience.


Thanks very much for your support. Many new faces have discovered our updated food and wine menus at Brie & Bleu and enjoyed the late summer evenings on the deck - and of course all of our regular "clubhouse" members - thanks for making it so much fun. Lots of new announcements are just around the corner - stay tuned, we are listening.



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



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