Rogers & Company "Premiums" Offer
September 2008
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Greetings!
Today I write to tell you about some very special wines that we offer only once per year. These are boutique products and are some of the best of our portfolio.
Some of the wines listed below are currently available. Those deliveries will be arranged as soon as possible. Some are arriving soon and orders will be filled as supply allows. Others (price is estimated) will be ordered depending on the response we receive to this offer, with a delivery date in November.
It is difficult to think of Christmas when we're trying to enjoy the last few weeks of warm weather, but if you like to place large orders of wine for gifts to clients or friends, it would be best to let me know as soon as possible, so we can increase order sizes to allow for larger purchases.
Prices listed are per bottle, exclusive of GST and bottle deposit. Orders will be filled based on availability.
Please visit Rogers & Co. for a catalogue of our wines, uploaded daily, and plenty of information including scores, tasting notes and links to the producers websites.
Kindest regards,
Chris.
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Champagne Vilmart & Cie. "Coeur de Cuvée" 2000
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $125.00 arriving early November
 Whenever anyone asks me what my favourite kind of wine is, they're usually shocked by the answer. Champagne!
In
my opinion, there is not a more versatile, delicious, texturally
satisfying style of wine made anywhere.
"From the heart of the free-run juice, from whose 2000 liters the first and last couple hundred are removed. This is regularly one of Champagne's great wines, though a certain patience is asked for....... a massive and esoteric concatenation of green and mineral fragrances so bound together you can hardly extricate them; it's still secretive (Laurent Champs says "hermetic") but it has moves you ain't seen, my friend, and you want to be there when it chooses its moment. "
Terry Thiese, importer and writer
Wine & Spirits named Vilmart one of the top ten Champagne houses in their Best of the Best Issue, September 2007.
In the May 2007 issue of Decanter, Tom Stevenson wrote, "When I
first tasted Vilmart in 1981 it was nothing special. But after it
introduced oak in the late 1980s, a sea change in quality occured. By
1991, I declared Vilmart to be 'poor man's Krug', 'mini Krug' and 'The
greatest grower Champagne I know.'
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Champagne Gaston Chiquet Special Club Brut 1999
[750ml/6 per case] $66.95
 Champagne Gaston Chiquet represents the other end of the Grower-Champagne spectrum, much more mineral driven than Vilmart's luxurious style. These wines are chalky, fruity and resonating with minerally character.
Compare this price of this vintage wine to any other 1999 Champagnes in Ontario and I'm sure you'll agree that it's a bargain.
"Disgorged 10/07, majority Chardonnay (from Aÿ), with Pinot Noir from Hautvillers (two-thirds) and Mareuil. Often this wine strikes me as comparable to Clos de Goisses, though not as resplendent; it's pure terroir, and this is quite the marching-band of flavour after all these cool 21st-century wines, but bless Nicolas: the chalk here is wonderful, and despite the extravagant fruit this is firmly outlined and spicy; assertive but not brusque."
Terry Thiese, importer and wine writer
To translate Mr. Thiese, this wine is all about the chalk. Rich baked apple fruit and complex yeasty nuances are there in spades, but the foremost concept here is terroir. This is rarely found in Champagne, and a real pleasure to experience.
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Domaine Brusset "Les Hauts de Montmirail" (Reserve) 2006
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $46.00 arriving early November
 A perennial favourite in our portfolio is this small production wine from the appellation's foremost producer. The Brussets have gone to extreme lengths to terrace and farm vineyards on the rugged Dentelles, the rocky formations that frame the village of Gigondas. Fans of Chateauneuf-du-Pape should take note of this opulent, brooding style of Grenache from a terrific vintage.
"Opaque purple. Powerful, deep aromas of dark berries, plum, tobacco and graphite are brightened by a zesty floral quality. Serious and weighty, with brooding kirsch and candied plum flavours, chewy tannins and a finishing note of bitter chocolate. The tannins really grip the teeth and yet this does not come across as hard."
88-91 points, Stephen Tanzer, Jan/Feb 2008
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Domaine Baumard Côteaux du Layon "Carte D'Or" 2006
[375ml/12 per case]
estimated $19.00 arriving early October
 Domaine des Baumards is regarded by Robert Parker in his latest book as one of the "World's Greatest Wine Estates".
To quote Mr. Parker, "For decades Jean Baumard's wines have been benchmarks for Savennières, Côteaux du Layon, and Quarts de Chaume - his wines have
every component in place, so technically perfect and so polished they
seem to be the product of a scientist."
Côteaux du Layon is a Chenin Blanc wine that has been affected by botrytis cinerea or Noble Rot, the same process that produces Sauternes in Bordeaux, and Trockenbeerenausleses (TBAs) in Germany. Stylistically, I think Coteaux du Layon is more like TBAs. The wine, although sweet and moderately viscous, is so laced with acidity that it's very light on the palate - a very memorable sensation. To the eye, this wine has a metallic shimmer. With age, it shows off its Chenin Blanc character by evolving notes of honey, beeswax and lanolin.
A perfect pairing would be tarte tatin or soft blue-veined cheeses, this also drinks nicely on its own as an apertif or after dinner.
If you can muster the will-power to not open all of these over the holidays, they will also mature very nicely in a cellar for years to come due to the high acidity and residual sugar content. Baumard was one of the first producers in Savennières to bottle under screwcap. |
Falchini Vernaccia di San Gimignano "Ab Vinea Doni" 2006
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $30.00 arriving early November
 Riccardo Falchini is the foremost producer of Vernaccia, a grape grown only in Tuscany, and in 1966, the first wine awarded DOC status.
Mr. Falchini is a member of the "Titolati" or "The Selected", a group of producers who strive for improvement of production through technology. Mr. Falchini's consulting oenologist is Giacomo Tachis, who has also consulted in the development of Tignanello, Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Solaia.
"Ab Vinea Doni" or "Gifts from the Vineyard" is the most premium level of this wine produced. The hand harvested bunches are fermented and matured in 225 liter French oak to soften add complexity to the character of Vernaccia. To the eye, this wine is straw yellow with golden highlights. The bouquet is of apples, vanilla, honey and baking spices. On the palate it is dry, with developed flavours of spring flower honey, parrafin, lemon, apricot, melon and almond.
The 2006 vintage in Tuscany was the forth fantastic year in a row. Robert Parker awarded it 93 points.
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Pieropan Soave Classico "La Rocca" 2006
[750ml/6 per case] $43.95
 In the April 2008 edition of Decanter magazine, Pieropan's "La Rocca"
was named as one of "Italy's 50 Greatest Ever Wines".
The panel of
international Italian wine experts was asked to list what they believe
to be the top five wines of Italy, regardless of varietal, vintage,
price or region. Simply, the greatest wines. When the
polls ended, La Rocca was 13th overall and one of only four whites to
receive multiple 'Top Five' votes.
In Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, March/April 2008, Mr. Tanzer wrote...
"Leonildo
Pieropan is one of Italy's five or six best white wine producers, and
his Soaves are benchmarks for the category. His passion for Soave is
evident from his refusal to include Chardonnay in his wines, rightly
believing that it masks the true character of Soave. Instead, he is one
of the few to have really invested in Trebbiano di Soave, a
high-quality but long overlooked member of the Trebbiano family which,
depending on whom you believe, is either closely related or identical
to Verdicchio. His '05s are the best of
the vintage and remarkably successful. While the '06s, due out later in
the year, are even better, he actually prefers his '04s." |
Pieropan "Ruberpan" 2004 IGT Rosso Veronese
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $40.00 arriving early November
Two-thousand and eight will see the release of the Pieropan's first red wine. In 1999, the Pieropan family purchased Villa Cipolla Pellegrini in Cellore d'Illasi in the Valpolicella DOC. The vineyards are planted with Corvinone, Corvina, Rondinella and Croatina Veronese in south facing limestone and clay soils. Viticultural practices are strictly organic, incorporating biodynamics wherever possible.
Ruberpan is an amalgam of Ruber (pronounced Roobur, latin for red) and Pieropan. It is labelled as an IGT wine to allow for maximum flexibility in blending, but at this point, only contains traditional and indigenous grape varieties.
As is expected from Pieropan, this wine is simply beautiful. It ages for 30 months casks in oak barrique before being aged further in bottle. It is rich and elegant, with an intense bouquet. The palate is deep and rich - red soft fruits, black cherries and blackberries, it is fresh and lively and the tannins are silky.
The 2006 Amarone is currently resting in their barrel cellar.
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Vietti Barbera d'Alba "Scarrone" 2006
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $50.00 arriving early November
 Vietti is best known for its single-vineyard Barolos, and for good reason. They were the first winery in Piedmont to bottle individually, and set a precedent of quality and marketing that has been emulated throughout the region. They produce wine from some of the most famous vineyard sources - Rocche, Lazzarito, Masseria, to name a few. They have also set the bar for Dolcetto and Barbera.
Barbera is a very interesting grape. It prefers warmer climates, and produces a wine with dark colour and abundant dark fruit character, but soft tannins and high acidity. Maturation in oak barriques contributes tannins to the finished wines, and Barbera takes well to the flavours of toasty oak and vanilla that barrels impart.
The Vietti style of Barbera is more complex and intense than most. It is comparable to Zinfandel in flavour, without the high alcohol often associated with Zin. This allows Barbera to be far more versatile as a food-wine. The full bodied nature and bold flavours pair well with red meats of all sorts, while the soft body of the wine allows a crossing-over of sorts into the realm of chicken, veal and pork. It is also very easy to enjoy on its own or with aged cheeses.
The Scarrone is a single vineyard bottling produced from 35 year old vines.
" Aromas of blackberry and light toasty oak follow through to a
full-bodied palate, with lots of fruit and a chocolaty, spicy finish.
This is big and juicy. Drink now. 850 cases made."
91 points, Wine Spectator, November 2007
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Avignonesi "Desiderio" IGT Cortona 2005
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $80.oo arriving early November
 One of our portfolio's most popular Merlots is the "Desiderio" by Avignonesi, our Vino Nobile de Montepulciano producer. The Cortona DOC is located in southwestern Tuscany, and enjoys a maritime climate similar to Bordeaux.
This Merlot is rich and racy. It does drink well young, once decanted, but I think a few years in the cellar will really benefit the complexity of the fruit that's packed into this wine.
Every vintage since 1996, with the exception of 2002 when none was made due to vintage conditions, Wine Spectator has rated this wine 90 points or higher. We are expecting similar results for the 2005.
"The 2005 Cortona Merlot Desiderio is a plump, juicy wine loaded with sweet dark fruit, plums, chocolate and toasted oak. This supple wine possesses excellent up-front weight, but the intensity trails off a little on the mid-palate. It, too, should drink well relatively early. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015."
89 points, Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, June 2008
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Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva DOCG
"Grandi Annate" 2004 [750ml/6 per case] $98.95
 This wine is only made in "Great Years", and 2004 was certainly a great year in Tuscany!
85% is Prugnolo Gentile, the local name for sangiovese, and the other 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 30 months in barrique and another 9 months in bottle.
This wine is outstanding!
"Offers notes of chocolate-covered cherry, with raspberry jam and hints
of coffee bean and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with polished tannins and
a long, rich finish. Exotic and exciting. This can't be anything else.
Best after 2010. 2,000 cases made."
95 points, Wine Spectator, web only 2008
Some previous Wine Spectator reviews emphasize the quality and pedigree of this wine; 2003, 93 points; 1999, 92 points; 1997, 95 points.
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Ehlers '1886' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 St. Helena
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $100 arriving late October
 The 2005 is the second vintage that we've offered of this soon-to-be-cult wine.
Rudy Zuidema biodynamically farms the estate vineyards in St. Helena to produce this landmark Cabernet.
Complexity, balance and depth are the name of the game here. Deep black currant fruit supports a multitude of flavours like blackberry, boysenberry confit, roasted red pepper, cocoa and toffee.
I recommend enjoying the beauty of this statuesque bottle in your cellar for a year, and then drinking one every 3 years until all six are gone.
"This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon represents Ehlers Estate's super-duper cuvée, and is far superior to their other wines because of excellent balance and complexity. Its grandeur is immediately apparent in the layers of aromas that rise from the glass and reinforced by an incredible finish. In between, the ripe black fruit flavours are beautifully entwined with nuances of toasty oak, herbs and smoky elements. Polished tannins give it a glossy texture. With a stated alcohol only 0.2 percent less (14.7%) than their other wines, it is clear that the absolute level of alcohol should not be sole criteria for judging wines. It's the overall balance, which in this case is impeccable, that makes a great wine."
94 points, winereviewonline.com
"Exotically ripe, pure, texturous, well-concentrated, fruit-compote and chocolate flavours."
5 stars, a wine of extraordinary character and quality,
Quarterly Review of Wines 'Best of the Best' Issue
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Duckhorn 'Goldeneye' Pinot Noir 2005 Anderson Valley
[750ml/6 per case]
$69.95 Vintages Dec 6th, or estimated $73.15 (delivered)
 The Napa Valley legend Duckhorn Wine Company's 'Goldeneye Winery' began making premium quality, cool climate Pinot Noir from
its estate in the cool Anderson Valley in 1997.
The Anderson Valley is located 200 miles north of San Francisco, and has made a name for itself by growing terroir driven Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Riesling. The cool climate and abundant sunshine of northernwestern Califonia amplify the aromatics and acidities in these varietals, producing wines of profound interest.
The quality and integrity you'd come to expect from any Duckhorn wine is evident in each vintage of Goldeneye and its second label 'Migration', of which the 2006 currently is available in consignment, $43.40 [750ml/12 per case] (90 points, Wine Enthusiast).
"Winemaker Zach Rasmussen did not produce a Narrows Vineyard bottling in 2005. Instead, the grapes went into the regular Goldeneye, to its great benefit. The wine is particularly rich in cherry pie filling, black raspberry, mocha, sassafras and smoky oak flavours, with a gorgeous, mouth-filling texture that's dramatic on the finish."
92 points, Wine Enthusiast, July 2008
"Faded garnet hue. An earthy, as well as chalky, bouquet with clove and tomato leaf accents. Mixed flavours of mocha, chalk, dark honey and brown spice. Dusty powdered chocolate and flintiness in the finish with a lasting, delicate sweetness."
92 points, The Wine News, Aug. 2008
"Rich and distinctive, with concentrated loamy earth, black cherry, wild berry, savory spice and fresh earth scents."
92 points, Wine Spectator, Sept. 2008
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Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Napa Valley
[750ml/12 per case]
estimated $90.00 arriving late October
 Nestled in the Wooden Valley in northern Napa Valley is one winery. This winery has been growing grapes for nearly twenty three years and selling to them to Caymus, Stags' Leap Winery and Pahlmeyer. They've also been making wines since 1993.
Extremely low yields (half the crop is dropped before veraison yearly) and the use of only free run juice are two contributing factors to the quality of this Cabernet. To be more clear, 'free run' is the juice that is squeezed from the grapes by the weight of the grapes themselves in the press or drainage tank. Juice from pressed grapes is said to contain more harsh tannins from the pips, skins and stems (if included). Adding press juice to the free run can stretch the production, but it's said to produce a lesser quality of wine.
We tasted the 2005 against the 2004 at the winery and expect similar or better ratings from Robert Parker, who awarded the 2004 94 points, and wrote "I was blown away by the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.....beautifully impressive .....full-bodied,
powerful, but beautifully nuanced and nicely structured, with sweet,
silky tannins. This wine should evolve for at least 20 or more years."
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Frog's Leap "Rutherford" Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
[750ml/6 per case]
estimated $110.00 arriving early November
 One word speaks volumes to fans of Napa Cabernet - Rutherford.
The famed Rutherford Dust is a reference to the soil itself in Rutherford, of which "The Maestro" André Tchelistcheff said "It takes Rutherford dust to grow great Cabernet".
It is also a term that is also used to describe a tactile quality not found in other Napa Valley appellations. The most appropriate description I've heard for it is that the tannin structure is like cocoa powder. Hugh Johnson MW suggests that allspice is the most precise reference. Who am I to argue?
Frog's Leap was featured recently in the New York Times Article 'The Pour', August 19, 2008 by Eric Asimov,
"The prevailing style of Napa Cabernet today emphasizes power, weight
and extravagance, but Frog's Leap is one of a small but significant
number of Cabernet producers that form a kind of alternate Napa
universe. They are making wines of balance and restraint that are a
direct link to Napa's past, when wines like the Inglenook forged the
region's reputation as a source of great Cabernet Sauvignon wines."
This wonderful article about the changing styles in Napa Cab is still available online.
This wine and Frog's Leap wines in general, are wines of grace, not power. They're wines of intellect, not overtness. They age impeccably, yet drink very well young. This wine draws you in and captures your attention, it doesn't command it.
1,500 cases produced, 4% Cabernet Franc.
"A really delicious wine with pure balanced claret fruit."Spurrier's Standouts,
"Better than Bordeaux?" article,
4 stars, Decanter, August 2008
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Caymus "Special Selection" Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
[750ml/6 per case] $152.25
 I still have a few cases of the 2005 available. Once they're gone, they're gone for good.
For those of us who've not had the Special Selection, it's packed in six bottle cases, and is Wine Spectator's #1 Napa Valley Cabernet of the modern era in California, according to a November 2006 article. It is also the only wine to win Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year award twice. Simply put, one of the World's Greatest Wines.
"Firm, intense and well-structured, with a mix of spicy oak, red and black currant, mineral, sage and dusty berry. Turns elegant and refined, yet shows a sturdy backbone on the finish. Best from 2009 to 2014."
94 points, Wine Spectator, February 2008
"Lots of toasty oak, very ripe yet mannered in its weight, and plush fruit. Spicy, and beautifully integrated/crafted."
5 stars, Decanter, September 2008
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Duckhorn Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Napa Valley
[750ml/6 per case] $114.95
 Duckhorn's Estate Cabernet is a lesson in St. Helena terroir. This wine is the apex of the production for Duckhorn, who's mastery of Bordeaux varietals over the past thirty years has placed them at the top of the list of modern Napa Valley wineries.
Although this wine drinks well young, its exhuberance can be tamed by a few years in the cellar. If you must pull a cork now, may I recommend filet mignon topped with Benedictine Blue and crispy shallots?
"Deep inky crimson hue with a fuschia rim. A meld of aromas of sweet maple, walnut and black fruit with a hint of blue cheese. Soft palate-feel on entry with earthy, spicy flavours that pick up a nutty appeal. Seamless integration of fruit and oak-laced tannins. Tart influences on the finish with a sprinkling of gravelly terroir."
92 points, The Wine News, June/July 2007
"Spicy black fruits. Concentrated cassis fruit, bright and fresh. Supple and stylish. Very appealing. Good spicy length. 2-10 years."
4 stars highly recommended, Decanter, January 2008
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Shafer Relentless 2005 Napa Valley limited availability
(78% Syrah, 22% Petite Sirah) [750ml/12 per case]
 The 2005 vintage for Shafer defied logic by producing big, heavy, beautiful clusters and delivered inky colour and massive aromas and flavours from the first day they were crushed. A vineyard is not supposed to be able to do both. But this opulent, deeply-flavoured wine reminds us to expect the unexpected.
This is not a wine for the faint of heart. With its heavyweight-style, but reasonable alcohol, it is complimentary to similarly concentrated flavours found in dishes such as braised short ribs or roasted leg of lamb.
With this Syrah, Shafer honors winemaker Elias Fernandez, whose relentless pursuit of quality has marked his two decades at Shafer Vineyards.
"The 2005 Relentless (78% Syrah and 22% Petit Syrah) offers the vintage's higher acids and firmer tannins, but gorgeous concentration, and like so many of the 2005s, it has put on considerable weight over the last 12 months. Deep, full-bodied, backward, this wine will require 3-4 years of bottle age and should drink nicely for at least two decades. The classic cassis, blackberry, peppery meatiness of this wine is beautiful, but it is full-bodied despite the freshness and vibrancy that characterized the vintage."
92-94 points, Robert Parker, December 2007
"If ever a name was well-chosen, 'Relentless' fits this utterly bombastic wine"
Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines
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Cain Concept 2000 "Library Release" Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
[750ml/6 per case] $75.95
 Concept is a blend of Napa Valley 'benchland' fruit sourced from many of the top growers. Cain's flagship wine, Cain Five, is a Spring Mountain which requires quite a few years in the cellar to truly unfold, so in the mid-1990s Cain developed a wine, which they refer to as a 'mirror image' of Cain Five, for enjoyment early on.
The blend of the 2000 is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon from the famed Georges III Vineyard and Garvey Ranch, 25% Cabernet Franc from Truchard Vineyard in Carneros, 9% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot. This wine is produced in a minimalist style, natural fermentation, unfined and unfiltered.
Currently we are selling the Concept 2004 in regular consignment, so this 2000 will offer a chance to enjoy a wine that is just reaching its prime drinking window. As this wine matures it displays a femininity comparable to a top-flight St. Julien.
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Chris McLean
c.mclean@rogcowines.com
416 961 2294 x 29
www.rogcowines.com
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