Happy New Year 2008, Davidoff Select Merchant, Martin Sancho Verdejo, Apaltagua Envero, Chocolate Block, Heitz Cellars

Greetings from all of us in New London,

Thames River Wine & Spirits - 860-443-9463 - http://thamesriver.com/wine/calendar.html
Thames River Greenery - 860-443-6817 - http://www.thamesriver.com/trg/gourmet.html
Brie & Bleu - 860-437-2474 - http://brieandbleu.com/
IMPORT - 860-443-6817 - http://thamesriver.com/trg/featured.html


Happy New Year! And best wishes to all of our readers and customers -
Thank You for a great 2007.

We start the New Year off with a great lineup on Friday night.
Since this is a vacation week for some of us just a couple items of interest before the wines for Friday.

• We are happy to announce that we are now officially a Davidoff Select Merchant.
The first boxes of the finest cigars being hand crafted in the world today have made their way into gift baskets with wine & fine spirits over the Christmas holidays. If you know someone that enjoys fine cigars - consider adding them to your next gift order. There will be much more information to share with you in the weeks ahead. Ask us about the special pricing and selection the next time you visit or call.

• We have two dozen grower champagnes, plus Cava, prosecco, and other sparkling wines from North America, Italy , and France. Of particular interest, is the Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale 1999, LeMesnil-Sur-Oger Grand Cru, perhaps the best Champagne we've ever had , $175 a MAGNUM. Head and shoulders better and above both, Cristal & Dom Perignon and less than HALF the price. High prices and orange labels are for Hedge Fund managers, desperate aging hipsters and snooty big-shots - Grower Champagne - This is wine for people in the know.

Wine Tasting - Please Join Us
Friday January 4, 2008 - 6-9 p.m. - No Charge

1 - Martin Sancho Verdejo 2006 $16 - Spain
This wine comes from ancient, 150-year-old vines in the Rueda wine region, just about half way between Madrid and Bilbao. The vines are grown in alluvial soils, which are smooth, white rock with very little sediment for several feet. The owner, Angel Rodriquez, takes great pride in his 25-acre vineyard, which has been passed down for many generations. This is a beautiful white wine full of green fruits, spice, a slight smokiness, bitter almond, and melon. From free-run juice, the new wine is racked into centuries-old subterranean oak bocoyes prior to clarification and bottling. 2006 was an unusually early harvest that has resulted in a bold classic Verdejo character, with deep minerality complementing abundant ripe fruit and texture in a long, weighty finish.


2 - Apaltagua Envero 2004 $16 - Chile (rated 89 points by Stephen Tanzer)
The Apaltagua Winery is located in the prestigious Apalta region in Chile's Colchagua Valley. They specialize in one distinguished, but lesser known, grape varietal - Carmenère. Carmenère is considered the "lost Bordeaux" variety, as it was originally planted in Bordeaux, but was abandoned there because it was too late ripening for the Bordeaux climate.
Tanzer: "Deep ruby. Explosively fruity, with strong raspberry, cherry jam and redcurrant scents, with a complicating note of cinnamon. Lush and silky on the palate, with a pure raspberry quality that's extremely easy to like. Pliant, suave and elegant, with a long, sweet red berry tone to the finish and very soft tannins. This is an excellent value and is drinking well right now." - For me, this is a perfect wine for a nice steak or grilled chops. Keep that in the back of your mind when you try it on Friday night.


3 - Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block 2006 $36 - South Africa
This is a house favorite - The Chocolate Block - always draws attention and devoted fans whenever we are able to share it.
Boekenhoutskloof, founded in 1776, is far up the "Valley" in the Franschhoek foothills. Situated 40 minutes drive from Cape Town, South Africa, it falls within the Cape's abundant winelands. It is a dramatic and enchanting place and should you ever have the opportunity to visit, as we did last year, you must make the trip.
This is a new vintage from an old friend - please try it on Friday night.

Watch as we taste with the winemaker HERE: http://blip.tv/file/206160

See our photos HERE: http://thamesriver.com/wine/photos.html

Visit their great website HERE: http://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/


4 - Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Napa California $50 - http://www.heitzcellar.com/
Joe and Alice Heitz established Heitz Wine Cellars in 1961! They were originally from Illinois and South Dakota respectively, but met in California in the mid 1940's. When Heitz Cellars opened in 1961, the Napa Valley had fewer than twenty wineries. Today there are more than two hundred. The original winery on St. Helena Highway is still open to the public as a sales and tasting room for visitors and is a glimpse into the origins of Heitz Cellars. The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the richest in years. The gorgeous varietal fruit flavors on the palate are just exquisite and impeccably balanced with complex tannins. It is a fabulous wine illuminating the purity and radiance of the cabernet grapes and showcasing the talents of the winemaker --- a joy to drink now and into the future. This will go quickly - try it on Friday night and see for yourself why these wines are sought after - everywhere.



Thanks for your support - we have a great year lined up - full of surprises and excitement.

We hope to see you on Friday night.

Please Join Us - It Is Fun, Informal and a Great Way To Start Your Weekend.


AAA.