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thamesrivergreenery
Party Like The Pope, Les Deux Tours, Za Za Garnacha, Michel Rolland, Clos de Los Siete, Cuvelier Los Andes
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Thames River Greenery - Thames River Wine & Spirits - Brie & Bleu - City News - Import
Greetings from all of us in New London,
There
is a lot of information in this weeks update. If you would like to skip
to our list of wines for Friday night, they are just below the news
& items of interest.
Many
of our regular customers and friends know that over the past couple of
years we have been fortunate to spend some time with Lidia Bastianich, Joe Bastianich, and Mario Batali.
So we were excited to learn that they had been choosen to prepare the
two dinners in New York for The Pope during his visit. Because of our
afilliation with the Bastianich family of wines we made The Call.
We
are able to offer you the same selection. Available by the bottle or in
a Divine Collection. Some choices are very limited - first come, first
served.
Read more about it here Wall Street Journal
Party Like The Pope
Here are the wines that will be served, all from Italy,
with some comments from Joseph Bastianich.
To Order Now - Click On The Picture.
Bastianich Tocai Friulano 2006
(Colli Orientali del Friuli), $15
 Made
from the most prolific indigenous white grape in Friuli. If you think
of Tocai Friulano as a fun, simple quaffer, this would change your
mind. This has serious earthiness that gives it significant weight in a
nicely rustic sense. In fact, this is a white wine that we would decant
because we found that its core of fruit showed better with air and
warmth. It would be good with grilled fish, but, because of its weight,
might be better with veal.
Bastianich Vespa Bianco 2006
(Venezia Giulia), $30
 The
winery's flagship white, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and
Picolit. It's pleasant and floral, easy to drink, with a bit of
Sauvignon Blanc crispness and Chardonnay mouthfeel and a hint of honey.
Good with sardines.
La Mozza Aragone 2005
(Maremma Toscana), $35
 La
Mozza Vineyard's premier wine. It's made from a fascinating blend of
Mediterranean and Rhône varietals including Sangiovese, Alicante, Syrah
and Carignan. Mr. Bastianich said the region is "very hot and arid" and
these grapes make a "very powerful wine, kissed by the Tuscan heat
without being jammy and too extracted. The Rhône varietals give it a
liveliness." We found that this had blackberries, cherries and warming
alcohol on the nose and were prepared for a wine of some heft -- but
were pleased and surprised when we sipped it to find a soft, velvety
wine that was lovely. There are hints of lilacs and some roasted earth,
but mostly it tastes like fresh, ripe-from-the-sun grapes, made more by
God than man -- perfect for the pope.
Bastianich Calabrone 2003
(Venezia Giulia), $75  The
Bastianich estate's reserve red. It is only made in great vintages, Mr.
Bastianich told us. It is a blend of Merlot, Refosco, Pignolo and
Cabernet Franc. Some of the grapes undergo appassimento, or drying,
which increases the intensity of their flavors. "It's kind of a real
extreme expression of what a cold-weather wine can be like when it's
great," he said. Sometimes the red wines in this region can be "vegetal
and stemmy," he added, "but these wines are more like tar resin, fresh
tobacco and cedar and have woodsy flavors that are super-appealing." In
the glass, the wine looks brand new, with lively purple highlights, and
smells raisiny. It reminded us of Amarone -- intense and raisiny -- but
the trick of this wine is that it has plenty of flavor without an
excess of power.
Bastianich Perlidia Plus Passito 2003
(Venezia Giulia), $75 (half-bottle)
 A
dessert wine made from super-ripe Tocai Friulano grapes that were
partially dried to enhance their sweetness. Mr. Bastianich said only
one barrel of this was made and was served in magnums to celebrate his
mother's 60th birthday. "We put some in small bottles so that she can
have one every year. It is not something we are going to make ever
again." This is quite a remarkable wine. It tastes like rich, sweet
earth, without too much sweetness and with abundant acidity.
First come, First Served.
| | UPCOMING EVENTS |
Pinot Envy?
Let Us Help
Stop reading and wondering about the Pinot Noir
that celebrities and Hedge Fund managers drink at every meal.
"Cult" Pinot Noir Dinner - Wednesday April 30 - 6 p.m.
Open Seating Plan - $75 plus tax & service.
Join us and enjoy the magic of Pinot Noir. The greatest names in Pinot Noir from France, Oregon, & California: Names that include: Belle Ponte, Calera, and Drouhin.
A
night that will feature some of the most elusive and sought after names
in the wine business. The seasonal menu will feature salmon - Details
about the menu and the wine list will be posted here and of the
Calendar of events page - H E R E
···
Buy popular request we are listing the Dinner Specials
at Brie & Bleu to help you plan your weekend.
Brie & Bleu Special for Saturday April 26th: In celebration of Spring,
Pasta Primavera $15 paired with Inama Soave Classico $6 a glass.
The deck will be open - reservations accepted - 860- 437 - 2474
|  Dave's Fave
Special Monday Tasting
Click on the photo to order it now
Domaines Barons de Rothschild
Aussieres Blanc 2006 $14
Hope
you had a great weekend in the sunshine! A couple months ago I poured
the Rouge from this particular winery - now that the sun has finally
come out, I am pleased to present the lovely Chardonnay from the same
estate! This ancient vineyard in the Languedoc was revitalized by
Rothschild (as in, Chateau Lafite Rothschild) a decade ago, and now
produces this crisp Chardonnay from just a few acres of vines. Light,
yet substantial - "aromas of melon and lemon," with very delicate use
of oak. Please, come have a chilled sip of wine and celebrate the end
of Monday! We'll raise a glass even if the wind stirs up and it's
hailing sideways...
| Wine Tasting Please Join UsFriday April 25 - 6-9 p.m. - No ChargeCan't Make It To The Tasting? - Click Photos & Get It Now!
1 - Les Deux Tours Sauvignon Blanc. 2005 $17 
The Loire Valley did not invent Sauvignon Blanc, but men like Baron de Ladoucette have come to define it with wines from Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. This is a humble little number with a Touraine appellation that nonetheless shares the same soil and meticulous wine making of the
standard bearers of the La Doucette family. Stainless steel
fermentation on fine lees creates a wine of body and richness, while
preserving the racy acidity and floral notes that define Loire
Sauvignon Blanc. This
wine is a natural pair for goat cheese (the Loire's other great
contribution to human society), or our Fondue at Brie and Bleu.
2 - Za Za Garnacha Rose 2007 $10
 Campo
de Borja in Spain has produced some of our best selling wines, such as
Tres Picos and Don Ramon. Za Za Rose comes from this same arid, sunny
region in central Spain. Roses such as this dot the tables of Madrid
and Logorno during the long mid-day meal. Served with cured ham,
sausage, mushrooms and other tappas, rose is perfect for big food on a
hot day. Full of intense strawberry, spice and floral aroma's this wine
bears little resemblance to either the roses of France, or the stuff
you drank on prom night. More red than pink, it is cold wine for the
red wine drinker.
Michel Rolland is the most controversial
figure in all of the wine world. Many people want him horse whipped and
jailed, while others see him as an answer to all their problems and pay
him very well for his advice. What can you make of a winemaker from
Bordeaux who says things like " wine is dead" or "I can make great wine
anywhere" or most importantly "Micro oxygenate!" ?
The tenents
of his winemaking philosophy fly in the face of conventional wisdom. To
Rolland, terroir is irrelevant and the approach to wine making, weather
it be Pomerol or Mendoza is always the same, ripeness,extraction and
micro-oxygenation. In Rolland's defense, he is making some of the most
lush, approachable wines in the world. And what others might refer to
as a hegemony of aesthetics, others see as a democraticization of wine.
The
only problem is that his very successful approach, with the high Parker
scores, and hundreds of millions of dollars that follow, supplant the
indigenous, historical winemaking wherever he goes. When you are taking
about Bordeaux, you are either discussing one of the pillars of world
culture, or simply another product to bring to market. Where you fall
in that debate makes Rolland's ubiquitousness, consulting for over 100
wineries, either a panacea or a plague. I think that probably Rolland
should be horsewhipped, but not jailed. Instead he should merely be
exiled to Argentina where he can make wine in peace without
interference from things like tradition and historical typicity and
character.
In Argentina he is a man free from the shackles of
his ancestry and he can swim like an otter in a sea possibility. In
Argentina the arid climate and constant sun allow the Bordeaux
varietals to flourish, reaching proportions formerly unknown. In
Argentina vineyards can achieve levels of ripeness impossible in
Bordeaux. Rolland's approach of maximum extraction expresses the fruit
as Bordeaux never could. His method of mirco-oxygenation, whereby
oxygen is injected into the wine during fermentation, creates a wine of
opulence and roundness of texture well suited to the Bordeaux varietals
planted in Argentina.
We are going to look at two such wines.
3 - Clos de Los Siete 2006 $18 92 pts Parker.
A
blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Rolland takes
the finished wine from seven vineyards and creates this cuvee. From the
back label " A new star is born: with seven points and symbolising
ambition and conviction"
4 - Cuvelier Los Andes 2005 $24 
One
of the seven wineries contributing wine to Clos de Los Siete. The
Cuvelier family are the proprietors of both Chateau Leoville-Poyferre
and Chateau Le Crock. Many French wine families such as the Rothschilds
and the Marnier-Lapostolles have established wineries in Argentina and
Chile over the past few decades. The wine is largely Malbec, that
Bordeaux varietal uniquely well suited to Argentina, with Cabernet
Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot in supporting roles. Love him or hate him, if you are in the wine business, you have to deal with him. Jim Morrison
Please Call Us Anytime With Questions - 8 6 0 - 4 4 3 - 9 4 6 3
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Thanks very much for your support we appreciate it.
We continue to use our "secret weapon" - We are listening.
Based
on your requests we are adding menu ideas, event and guest ideas, and
shop on line ideas. It's going to be a fantastic season.
We hope to see you this week. Please join us. It's fun, informal, and a great way to start your weekend.
AAA.
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