Rogers & Company Newsletter
New Wines from Rogers & Company
July 2010
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Greetings!
I'm excited to announce that we've added eight new wines to our portfolio!
But that's not as easy as it sounds. For some time now, we've been searching for wines that fit into that elusive daily drinking/value category but that do not comprimise on the quality that our clients have come to expect from Rogers & Company. So, after many arduous months of tasting wine after wine (a bit of sarcasm here), we've finally done it. We've also added a boutique wine from Italy, a collectable white SuperTuscan and a beautiful Pinot Noir from New Zealand.
From Italy, we have Ponchione Barbera d'Alba 2007 a beautiful small production wine that stunned us at VinItaly, our retail price will be about $24.95 when it arrives in late August. We also have a new, very modern, aromatic IGT Tuscan blend from Casale Falchini, the Mora di Selva 2008, a blend of Sangiovese, Cab and Merlot at a very friendly $16.
We now offer Querciabella Batar 2007, a collectable Chardonnay/Pinot Bianco blend that Robert Parker called "sublime...not to be missed" (2007) and Jancis Robinson called "Perhaps the most ambitious Pinot Blanc on the planet" (2004). Its packed in cases of six, at $84.95. Give it 6-8 years in a cellar for the wine to really hit its stride.
From Bordeaux we have Château Le Breuil Renaissance 2007 from the undervalued district of Medoc. Its the Holy Grail of Bordeaux - solid red Bordeaux that smells and tastes like much pricier Bordeaux but only costs $18.95!
New to our California collection are three exciting wines. Already here is the Cannonball Cabernet 2007 sourced mainly from Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley, at $22.95; and two wines from Grayson Cellars, a Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 and a Chardonnay 2009 that will blow you away at $16.95, they are arriving in 2-3 weeks. I've written about these at length below. Get your reservations in now!And to build on the phenomenon that is Astrolabe, we now offer their Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008, $26.95, which has always been a crowd favourite when we've poured it at the New Zealand trade fairs. This will also be released in Vintages on September 4th.We've revised our online pdf catalogue, which is always available at Rogers & Company. The retail prices now include all taxes, as do the prices in this newsletter. The only cost not factored in is the LCBO's $0.20 per bottle deposit.So, without further delay, here's a selection of some new wines and some classics that I think are great for this gorgeous summer we've been enjoying.
Please visit us on the web to learn more about everything we offer, and please forward this to anybody you know who loves wine as much as we do.
My best regards,
Chris. |
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Johann Mertes Goldberg Riesling 2009 QbA [750ml/12case] $18.95
 No
grape on earth displays terroir like Riesling does. When grown in the
extremes of the Saar Valley's blue slate soils it beautifully displays
crystalline lime and stone fruit flavours and rapier-like acidity. A
little residual sugar balances the wine's acids, enhances mouthfeel and
provides a resonating finish.
Johann
Peter Mertes is owner and winemaker for this 6th generation family
estate dedicated to only Riesling and Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir). Their
vineyard holdings are enviable, clinging precariously to valley walls
in Kanzem, Wawern, Saarburg and Ockfen.
Just writing this I can't get the image of a big plate of shimmering toro sashimi out of my mind - what a match! |
Domaine Masson-Blondelet Pouilly-Fumé "Villa Paulus" 2008
[750ml/12case] $28.95
[375ml/12case] $17.95
 Villa Paulus is a particularly interesting vineyard since the soil is
kimmeridgian clay which is usually associated with the Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis. This rich clay combined with marine fossils gives enhanced extract, body
and richness. Aromatically, this wine is pure Upper Loire Sauvignon Blanc.
As
the wine hits the palate there is an explosion of grapefruit and lime,
yet underpinning this is a mineral complexity or smokiness suggesting gunflint,
that differentiates this wine from close neighbour Sancerre. The fruit
on the palate is particularly round, lush, and supple yet retains good
balancing acidity. This concentration persists impressively over the 30
second finish.
M.W. Clive Coates rates Domaine Masson-Blondelet as "one of the best Pouilly Domaines."
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Château de Maligny Chablis "Carré de César" 2008
[750ml/12case] $25.95
[375ml/12case] $15.35
 Chablis is so much more than un-oaked Chardonnay. It is a wine that reflects ancient terroir, a very special type of clay mixed with marine fossils, which provides the characteristic richness and "fusil" or flinty character that Chablis afficionados crave.
This "Carre de Cesar" is not a vineyard designate per se, rather a portion of the Chateau de Maligny estate vineyard that produces consistently special Chardonnay fruit.
This is the perfect summer wine - refreshing, minerally, with apple and pear notes, a hint of honey, some biscuity notes from lees contact, and a long, effortless finish.
Being from Northern Ontario, my favourite summer fish dish is lightly floured pickerel pan-fried in butter and I think this Chablis would be an absolutely sinful match.
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Grayson Cellars Chardonnay 2009 [750ml/12case]
estimated $16.95 ETA mid August
 Grayson Cellars' mission is to produce top quality wines at everyday prices. They do this by sourcing fruit only from premium wine growing regions (read, no Central Valley) and vinifying and raising the wines in Napa just off highway 29.
To accomplish this feat, they've hired Larry Levin. For 18 vintages at Dry Creek Vineyard Larry crafted 15 different wines per year and was then hired as Director of Winemaking at Icon Estates which owns and operates Franciscan, Mt. Veeder, Robert Mondavi, Estancia, Ravenswood, Quintessa and Ruffino.
The Grayson Cellars wines are quite simply a steal at the price.
This 2009 is not yet reviewed, but the 2008 received the following:
"There
are 15,000 cases of the 2008 Chardonnay, which is completely fermented
and aged in stainless steel. Elegant honeysuckle, orange blossom, and
tropical fruit aromas are followed by a nicely-textured, medium-bodied
Chardonnay displaying outstanding purity, freshness, and overall
equilibrium. Enjoy it over the next year."
88 points, Wine Advocate, Aug 2009 |
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Querciabella "Mongrana" IGT 2008 [750ml/12case] $24.95
 Querciabella is a small Italian property based at Greve in the heart
of Chianti. Their considerable reputation rests upon a range of five superb
hand-crafted, biodynamic wines. These are the Super-Tuscans Bátar, Palofreno and Camartina, the delicious Chianti Classico DOCG called simply "Querciabella" and this newest wine, Mongrana.
Mongrana is roughly 50% Sangiovese with equal parts of Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot grown in Maremma on the Tuscan coast, an area of great excitement and experimentation by top Tuscan vintners.
I think this wine is drinking very well young - it is "energetic". Rich fruit flavours abound in this medium-full bodied wine, the tannins have youthful grip and the acidity is brisk. It seems too simple to say this is "pizza wine", because I think it would be as well suited to finely marbled steaks and Mediterranean vegetable dishes. I'd decant this for a half an hour before serving.
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Belle Glos "Taylor Lane" Pinot Noir 2008 [750ml/6case] $57.95
 The 2008 Taylor Lane grows in a tiny vineyard in the wilds of northern Sonoma County surrounded by ancient, skyscraping redwoods overlooking the cold Pacific Ocean.
Growing grapes fully ripe Pinot Noir here is hard work, but as the old saying goes, "A gem cannot be polished without friction". So winemaker and vineyardist Joey Wagner, son of Caymus owner Chuck Wagner, has chosen the early ripening Dijon clone and manages the canopy as an old-fashioned Italian pergola to maximize light and air flow. Because of this, the vines produce fully ripe Pinot Noir fruit with balanced acids, sugars and tannins.
"Aged 9 months in French oak. Deep, dark reddish-purple colour in the glass. Intensely fruity nose that improves with time in the glass revealing a perfume of crushed plums, boysenberries, oak spice and underbrush. A whiff of alcohol peaks out as the wine warms. Rustic and sinewy with flavours of black cherries, blackberries, cola, cassis, herbs and oak. The tannins are restrained and there is a good lift of acidity on the finish which shows some persistence."
www.princeofpinot.com, April 23, 2010
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Peay "Estate" Pinot Noir 2008 [750ml/6case] $68.95
 Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator wrote in November 2009 "to taste the indisputably original savour of Pinot Noirs from producers
such as Flowers, Hirsch and Peay is to marvel at America's Pinot Noir
treasures." I couldn't agree more.
The 2008 Estate Pinot
is intense and full-bodied with appealing notes of black tea and cedar
wrapped around a
deep cherry core. The mouth feel is broad and dry with fruity mushroom,
graphite, hickory and cherry skin aromas combining on the palate. The
length is superb with medium tannins and medium plus acidity; a very
good expression of the Estate Pinot in the 2008 vintage. Decant this for
at least 30 minutes before drinking this now or age it for 2-3 years
for more bottle
bouquet to develop.
"Vivid
red. Pungent raspberry, licorice and wilted rose on the nose, plus a
zesty note of white pepper. Sweet, smooth and nicely focused, with tangy
red berry, cherry and tarragon flavours complemented by a hint of cola.
Finishes with fine-grained tannins and lingering spiciness. This lively
wine is drinking well right now."
92 points, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2010
San Francisco Chronicle 2009 "Winery of the Year"
Wine & Spirits magazine 2008 and 2009 "Winery of the Year"
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Cannonball Cabernet 2007 [750ml/12case] $22.95
 In the quest to find these new value-priced wines, we thought we'd go to the source and ask our partners in Napa who they would recommend, and the answer from more than a few people was "Cannonball!"
Cannonball is the 2nd best selling wine in Whole Foods in terms of dollar value in the United States. We thought that was a good sign, so we approached them and found that contrary to the easy-going nature of the label, this is serious juice.
Sourcing from Dry Creek Valley, Napa and Mendocino, winemaker Dennis Hill (of Hayman & Hill fame) has always strove to produce premium wines at everyday prices and with Cannonball we think he's hit a home run again.
The
2007 Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon presents a velvety burgundy colour. On the nose it is Sonoma Cab to a tee. Aromas of fresh berries, spice, and pepper with a
faint background of vanilla-oak are very much reflected in the mouth.
Full and rich, the flavours are
boldly presented along with racy, red fruit, cherry-vanilla and cocoa. The finish is classic - smooth, long
and delicious.
We're really excited about this wine, and I highly recommend it.
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Grayson Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 [750ml/12case]
est'd $16.95 ETA mid August
 This medium to full bodied Cab amazed me with its aromas of rich dark fruit, chocolate, cassis, cola and toast. It is soft, but rich on the palate, has gently refined tannic grip, which bodes well for food and has it impeccable balance.
This 2009 is not yet reviewed, but the 2008 received the following:
"Also
noteworthy is the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 10 (6,700 cases). It
tastes like a Cabernet in the $25-40 range. An incredible value, this
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% French oak, boasts a dark
ruby/purple colour as well as a big, rich nose of blackberries, medium
body, supple tannins, and surprising intensity and length. Just
amazing!"
89 points, Robert Parker, Aug 2009 |
Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 [750ml/6case] $77.95
 A
complex blend of grapes from the Napa Valley AVA and seven sub-appellations, this wine also incorporates a significant amount
of fruit from the Duckhorn Estate vineyards in St. Helena.
The result is a wine that strikes
an effortless balance between dark fruit, oak and tannins. Classic
Cabernet elements of black currant, dark cherry, plum and raspberry are
accentuated by more subtle layers of mint and black olive, a hallmark of the Duckhorn Cab style. Although this is a big,
structured and age-worthy wine the tannins are beginning to soften,
framing both the fruit and the oak-derived vanilla and cocoa notes.
"An enjoyable Cab for its lush mouthfeel and ample flavours of blackberries, black currants, cherries, spices and smoky oak. Feels rich and savoury all the way through. The tannins certainly are present, but they're refined. Drink now - 2015."
90 points, Wine Enthusiast, June 2009
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Frog's Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
[750ml/12case] $59.95
 I'll let two of my favourite publications brag about this one for me.
"John Williams at Frog's Leap is not out to make the ripest Cabernet in the valley. He's a grower, and it appears that he's tuned his organically farmed vines precisely to the long, moderate 2007 season, producing a wine that stretches from the roots to the leaves and reaches toward cool, pure, tightly balanced fruit. It's an elegant Cabernet, the fruit transparent enough to show the character of Rutherford through the lens of woodland strawberries and red and black currants. Delicious on release, this gets better with air, as it will in bottle. A wine to cellar for 10 years and enjoy along the way with lamb."
94 points, Wine & Spirits, June 2010
"An absolutely classic style of wine that may or may not be the most concentrated in the knot, but the aroma is classic Napa with herbs and dried cherries. The mid-palate is silky and has only moderate tannins, and there's an elegant food-friendly finish. It's a wine not unlike the great Cabs of the 1970s in style."
'Exceptional', Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences, February 11, 2010
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Ralph Fowler Mount Benson Shiraz 2007 [750ml/12case] $26.95
 Are you unimpressed by big, fat, peppery Barossa Shirazes with pitch black fruit and alcohol you can light with a match? Me too.
The Fowlers were the first family to explore the untapped Mt. Benson as a viticultural area and many others followed suit. This windswept region on the cold Aussie south coast produces Shirazes of refinement and elegance. Vibrant fruit flavours of blueberries, blackberries and plum are supported by moderate tannins and fresh acidity, and the finish, enhanced by a white pepper note that lasts and lasts.
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Chris McLean
416 961 2294x 29 c.mclean@rogcowines.com
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