Private Client Newsletter
European Gems in Cases of Six
June 2008
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Greetings!
Here is a wonderful opportunity to experience some of our finest European wines that are offered in boxes of six, or "half cases".
Because of the guidelines that LCBO has set for agencies, it can be difficult for a client to take a "leap of faith" and invest in twelve bottles of a wine they are not sure they'll really love.
Luckily, some of our top producers offer their wines in cases of six. These are some of our most respected 'boutique' producers. If they were Californian, I'd call them "cult-wines". Large demand, great reputation, collectability, and in short supply.
Champagne Gaston Chiquet produces extremely elegant, minerally Champagnes, unlike most you've probably had. From Burgundy, the Morey-Blanc wines are true treasures - this is top-flight Pinot Noir in extremely short supply. Burgundies have a reputation for unpredictable quality, but years as winemaker for Domaine Leflaive ensures the Pierre Morey's wines (Morey-Blanc and Domaine Pierre Morey) are as good as they come.
Jasmin's Côte Rôties are as silky and sensual as Syrah gets (Australian fans take note), and Vietti's Barolos are second to none, and priced at a fraction of their competitor's wines.
As usual, prices are per bottle, exclusive of GST and bottle deposit. A current catalogue of our wines is always available at www.rogcowines.com
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Gaston Chiquet Champagne N/V Blanc de Blancs d'Ay Brut
[750ml/6 per case] $52.95
 I've written about this in previous newsletters, but Grower Champagne is where it's at. Why pay top dollar for Grand Marques Champagne (the famous houses) when you can save your money and experience Champagne with minerality, integrity and character. The man that grew these grapes also made the wine. Isn't that what wine's all about?
"Green-gold. Vivid citrus and green apple aromas are sharply focused and pure, emphasizing lime and pink grapefruit. Brisk, nervy grapefruit and mineral flavors show wonderful focus and depth, finishing on a salty note. Delicious, energetic Champagne with impressive focus and purity."
91 points, International Wine Cellar Nov/Dec 2006
One of my favourite writers is the irreverant importer Terry Thiese, who is a leader in the Grower Champagne and artisan producer market. He sums it up here, "It needs a moment to push through some disgorgement aromas but then shows utterly lovely fragrances, almost a Chenin waxiness against Chablis salt and straw, then sweetening in the glass to meadow-flowers; palate jumps up to meet you; sweet, salty, extroverted, almost untamed."
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Gaston Chiquet Champagne 1999 "Special Club" Brut
[750ml/6 per case] $66.95
 The "Special Club" is a group of Champagne producers who've joined as a co-operative of sorts. Independently, no small houses can compete with the marketing savvy and corporate advertising bucks of the Grands Marques.
Collectively, they can make a name for their wines in the market, and use the oddly shaped bottle of the "Special Club" to do so.
In his 2008 Champagne Catalogue, Terry Thiese calls the 1999 Chiquet and goes on to say "pure terroir......the chalk here is wonderful, and despite the extravagant fruit this is firmly outlined and spicy; assertive but not brusque."
Michael Skurnik, an American importer works with Terry Thiese and is at the front of this artisan movement in the U.S. He sums up the style of Chiquet's Champagnes with this quote.
"They taste focused, refined and friendly. Even at their ripest they're slim, and even at their tallest they're willowy. They taste like the wines of a man who respects his land. They split the difference between the really adamantly mineral Champagnes and the overtly fruity ones. They are classical, not romantic. They are thoughtful but not aloof, like their maker!"
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Morey-Blanc Aloxe Corton 1er Cru "Clos du Chapitre" 2003
[750ml/6 per case] $79.90
"Very seductive. The cherry flavor is pure, augmented by spice and woodsy notes, all backed by a lively structure. The tannins are dense yet ripe, and there's a long black cherry and spice aftertaste. Drink now through 2018. 70 cases made."
91 points, Wine Spectator August 2006
Seventy cases - that's less than 3 barrels! This is a great opportunity to experience something truly artistic. Pierre Morey (the owner and director) is the winemaker for Domaine Leflaive - arguably the greatest white wine producer in Burgundy, and quite possibly, anywhere.
Morey-Blanc is owned by Pierre and his wife Christiane Blanc, who have long relationships with their growers and oversee the full production of their wines, from directing yield and viticultural techniques (organic bordering on biodynamic) to the winemaking and distribution.
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Morey-Blanc Corton Renardes Grand Cru 2003
[750ml/6 per case] $97.90
"Perfumed and lacy, this red shows cherry, sandalwood, rose and wild berry aromas and flavours matched to a silky texture. It's high in alcohol yet packed with fruit and very dense tannins. Appealing now, yet will develop. Drink now through 2018."
93 points, Wine Spectator, August 2006
This Corton is flamboyant to say the least. I still remember the first time I drank it. The bouquet is explosive, dark, sensual, and alive. It is an extremely full bodied style of Pinot, as is typical of Corton, but this one has real finesse. The finish is very long and the flavours resonate on the palate for over a minute.
The 93 from Wine Spectator is a great score, but when blind tasting this, I'd expect a 95 or 96. An outstanding wine!
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Jasmin Côte Rôtie 2005 [750ml/6 per case] $65.50
"The most elegant and polished wines of the Côte Rôtie".
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
The syrah and viognier blends from the "Roasted Slope" are usually dark and animalistic, explosive on the nose and full bodied.
Jasmin's wines have a delicate refinement - more like Burgundy than typical Côte Rôtie. In a classic vintage like 2005, this wine is beautiful.
These wines are actually aged in older Burgundy barrels, not new French oak as say, Guigal's. This is just part of what adds to their beauty, refinement and ageability. The wines come from very steep, terraced vineyards on the Côte Brune and Côte Blonde above the village of Ampuis. From the 2003 vintage to the 2006, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar has scored this wine 91, 90, 91 and 90-92 points respectively.
"Dark red. Perfumed, red berry-dominated bouquet of fresh violet, minerals and baking spices. Fleshy raspberry and cherry flavors are firmed by silky tannins and energized by vibrant minerality. I really like this wine's unadorned, understated personality. Finishes sweet, broad and long, with outstanding focus."
91 points, International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 2008
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Vietti Barolo "Castiglione" 2004 [750ml/6 per case] $74.85
 In 2003 Wine Spectator wrote about Vietti, "Vietti makes some of the cleanest, most terroir-driven wines in
Piedmont, with a rare subtlety and elegance. Yet there is also a
traditional undertone to the wines, giving them a personal style that
wines from other modern young winemakers in the region often lack. His
wines (Luca Currado) are rich due to low grape yields in his vineyards, not heavy
extraction in the winery. He uses very few small, new French oak
barrels for aging, relying instead on traditional, large oak casks."
"Vietti's 2004 Barolo Castiglione is superb. This impressively rich, concentrated Barolo is fresh and perfumed, with plenty of sweet fruit supported by awesome structure and power. With air delicate notes of herbs and tobacco emerge, adding further complexity. With this effort, the Castiglione bottling takes an important step in Currado's plan to make this wine much closer in quality to his single-vineyard offerings. No longer the accessible easy going wine it once was, the 2004 is a big, big wine. The Castiglione is made from a variety of plots, many of which are too small to vinify separately for purely practical reasons. These include Bricco Fiasco, Ravera, Fossati, Bussia and Le Coste (Monforte)."
92 points, Robert Parker December 2007
"Good full red. Explosive nose offers black raspberry, smoke, dried flowers, espresso, menthol, tar and truffle; more complex than past vintages of this blend. Suave, broad and dry, with excellent inner-mouth energy thanks to fresh acidity. The tannins build on the back end, but pepper and spice notes give lift to the long finish."
91+ (?), Int'l Wine Cellar Nov/Dec 2007
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Thanks for taking the time to read this. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly via e-mail or phone if there's any wines you'd like to order.
e-mail: c.mclean@rogcowines.com
phone: 416 961 2294 x 29
Best regards,
Chris.
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