Rogers & Company Newsletter
Barbecue Wines for Barbecue Times
June 2009
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Greetings!
Finally, finally!!! I think it's actually here. I attended my first real barbecue of the season last Saturday and it was wonderful.
So, scrape off the grill, throw a match on the charcoal and pull a cork! It's barbecue season.
Here's a selection of wines that would be wonderful to sip outside on a patio with a light seasonal salad or next to a big juicy slab of char-grilled beef. For this newsletter, I've selected particularly aromatic, zingy whites and lip-smacking reds with great acidity and moderately full tannins.
As always, prices are per bottle, pre-GST and bottle deposit. For more information, a complete catalogue and to learn about the newest additions to the Rogers & Company portfolio; Weingut Johann Mertes our new Riesling producer from the Saar in Germany; and Produttori del Barbaresco, the venerable co-operative that turns out world-class Nebbiolos in Piemonte, visit Rogers & Company.Have a great day.
My best regards,
Chris.
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Wildass Riesling 2007 [750ml/12cs] $16.90
 Wildass is the second label from Stratus Winery. The playful name and label belies this seriously crisp, minerally, lime-infused Riesling grown on the limestone rich Beamsville Bench in the Twenty Valley. 2007 was a fantastic vintage for Riesling in Niagara.
"Fruit is sourced from the Niagara Escarpment. Moderate intensity, reserved, ripe stone fruit flavours, floral honey - petrol notes, already showing some maturity. Dry, full bodied for Riesling, quite rich and substantial with a lot of weight on the palate and very glycerous. More of a Pinot Gris-like texture; moderate plus finish. A solid, muscular very ripe style best enjoyed in the short to mid-term."
88 points, John Szabo MS, Wine Access 2009
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Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio 2007 [750ml/12cs] $19.30
 Everyone's favourite Pinot Grigio from the cold Alpine hills of the Alto Adige in northern Italy. This wine is definitive patio-wine, suited to any manner of light fresh foods, like baked white fish with lemon or summer citrus salads.
"Pretty and floral on the nose, with peach and lemon. Medium-bodied, with lively acidity, beautiful fruit and wonderful intensity. Not imported into the U.S. Drink now. 30,000 cases made"
90 points, Wine Spectator, web only 2008
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Frog's Leap Chardonnay Napa Valley 2007
[750ml/12cs] $40.90
 Frog's Leap is the Napa Valley leader in responsible, organic farming and the care that goes into growing the vines, shows in the wines. This Chardonnay is equal parts California sunshine and Burgundian minerality. Partial barrel maturation and partial malolactic fermetation deliver layer upon layer of complexity.
"Tropical fruit with minor notes of citrus and a faint hint of white Burgundy depth. Excellent acid, only 13.4% alcohol, and a completeness that adds nicely to richer seafood dishes."
Exceptional, Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences, February 2009
"Richer and firmer than past bottlings, Frog's Leap '07 Chardonnay is their best ever. It shows a sleek minerality undergirding ripe apple, pear and smokey vanilla flavours. Very nice."
90 points, Wine Enthusiast, February 2009
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McLaren Ridge Shiraz 2006 [750ml/12cs] $21.95
 Owning only five hectares of Shiraz and one of grenache, McLaren Ridge is a true "boutique winery".
To quote Australian Gourmet Pages, "Get some before they even have a cellar door and before anyone finds
out just how good it is for its asking price. Planted a decade ago the
vines finally produce fruit that just couldn't be ignored, expressing
the McLaren Vale terroir to the fullest with 'Cherry Ripe' forward
aromas of cherries, chocolate and earthy, peppery flavours with tight
tannins and a long and lively finish."
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Neagles Rock "Mr. Duncan" Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2007
[750ml/12cs] $21.95
 The cool Clare Valley is one of my favourite wine regions in Australia. Few areas can match Clare for its herbal, yet dark and fruity wines. The mostly granitic soils give the wines minerality, while the combination of long sunshine hours and cool temperatures provide the acid-sugar balance that one looks for in world-class Cabernet and Shiraz.
A perennial award winner, the 2007 has yet to be rated or awarded, but the 2006 won the Gold at the 2008 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards and Silver at the 2008 International Wine Challenge.
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Querciabella "Mongrana" IGT 2007 Maremma
[750ml/12cs] $23.85
 Now here's a wine to get excited about! The legendary Chianti Classico winery Querciabella has recently developed a property on the Tuscan coast in Maremma, a source of many top Super Tuscans. These young Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot vines are farmed biodynamically, and this care and attention to detail really shows in the glass.
Deep, dark fruit is lifted by the pomegranate-like twang of sangiovese, and maturation in neutral oak keeps this wine youthfully exhuberant. It borders on being full-bodied, but not heavy. This has been my go-to wine recently whenever I'm looking for richness, vibrancy, and a glass that drinks well above its price range.
"This supple, spicy biodynamic beauty is one of the best Italian wines I've had in ages."
The Daily Telegraph UK, July 28, 2008
The Querciabella Chianti Classico 2006 will be released in Vintages stores on July 4th (#728816, $34.95), but the Mongrana 2007 is only available through us.
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Selection Chave St. Joseph "Offerus" 2006
[750ml/12cs] $34.95
 The Chave family is regarded as the top producer of Hermitage, and by some to be the top winery in the world. Their expertise with syrah is unparalleled.
So when Jean-Louis Chave set out to produce a new syrah reflective of the land of the town of St. Joseph, he sought 10 of the top growers and began working closely with them. With the same attention to detail and work ethic that brought the winery fame at the hill of Hermitage, this St. Joseph is grown using only organic techniques, and is reflective of the granitic slopes of St. Joseph.
"Saturated red. Powerful aromas of black raspberry, candied cherry, licorice and smoky minerals. Sweet cherry and dark berry flavours coat the palate, with dusty tannins adding gentle grip. The licorice note repeats on the finish, which clings impressively and betrays no rough edges. Pretty sexy wine, and drinking well right now."
90 points, International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 2009
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St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Sonoma County [750ml/12cs] $32.95
 A dark, rich, robust style of Cabernet that would pair as well with grilled hanger steak as it would with a thick side of Steelhead trout.
St. Francis' vineyards are located not only at the winery, but throughout the Sonoma Valley AVA. Some Sonoma's oldest family-owned vineyards provide fruit to St. Francis and these different sources of fruit provide the multiple layers of complexity that their wines are famous for.
This is no small wine. Tobacco, dill, vanilla, and mocha abound within the dark, chewy, cassis and black currant fruit. This is meant to be drank upon release, but don't hesitate to stash a few away, as it has the structure to age well.
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Duckhorn "Paraduxx" 2006 [750ml/6cs] $59.95
 Paraduxx is a unique Napa Valley red wine in the tradition of the
world's great blends. From the Super-Tuscan wines of Italy to the
Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon blends of Australia, each great winegrowing
region has created its own authentic varietal pairings. Paraduxx's goal
is to craft a world-class blend with a distinctly Californian
personality by using Zinfandel, the famous grape of California,
with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This vintage is just released, so it has yet to be reviewed by the esteemed press, but the 2005 received 91 points from Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines (May 2008) and the following note:
"Other varietals may add their voices to this very rich wine, and Cabernet Sauvignon, in particular, brings a firm streak of tannin, but the wine is very much Zinfandel at its heart and is rife with very deep blackberry fruit and vanilla. Full and fleshy in feel, if still a bit astringent on the back end, it is beginning to hint at complexity to come and deserves to be left alone for some three or four more years."
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Caymus Zinfandel 2005 Napa Valley [750ml/12cs] $41.95
 Caymus founder, the late Joseph Wagner's favourite wine was his Zinfandel. The winery continues to produce this wine farmed by growers throughout the valley. Petit Sirah contributes 21% of this blend. It adds a bit of richness and softens the sometimes overly tart qualities of pure Zinfandel. This wine is barrel aged in French oak to further soften the edges and to provide toasty nuances.
This wine is still made in the style that Joseph favoured; dark, rich, supple, and drinkable upon release.
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Coming Soon!
 We're happy to announce that in mid-August we will have our first shipment of the 2007 Peay "Estate" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay [750ml/6cs]. Our estimated price is $72.95 per bottle, pre-GST.
Vintrust.com called the 2006 "Quite possibly the greatest Chardonnay produced in California." Winemaker Vanessa Wong claims that 2007 is her best ever.
"Hazy yellow. Deeply pitched scents of sweet butter, poached pear, peach pit, tarragon and iodine. Chewy in texture and packing serious punch, with sweet orchard and pit fruit flavours and a suave undercurrent of smoky lees and minerals. Surprisingly lively on the finish, which leaves tangy mineral and lime pith notes in its wake. Very complex, fresh chardonnay."
94 points, International Wine Cellar, May 2009
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Last Chance to Buy!
 September 2009 will see the arrival of the last of the 2005 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Five of the fifteen cases are already reserved, so reserve yours while you can!
Our estimated price is $100 per bottle, pre-GST, 12 bottles per case.
Altamura has been quietly and consistently producing among the finest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons and Sangiovese since 1993. Using only free run juice gives Altamura wines the purest expression of both the varietal and the vintage. It is a long term approach that Altamura fans can count on year after year.
"The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is a big, well-balanced red boasting a dense, ruby/purple colour as well as aromas of roasted herbs, creosote, licorice, black currants, cedar and loamy soil. Dense and full-bodied with superb richness and power, and sweet tannins, it should drink well for two decades."
95 points, Robert Parker, December 2008
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Chris McLean
416 961 2294 x 29
c.mclean@rogcowines.com
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