Why not ask an importer about wines in cases of six?
Working directly with a wine agent can feel a bit like getting in on a secret: A good agent is your “wine guy”, your cellar advisor, and your source for recommendations year-round. Want to get your hands on a limited release from a small producer? Better be on the agent’s mailing list. Ready to explore wines not listed at the LCBO? Agents = options.
If you’ve worked with an agent in Ontario, you know a caveat: Wines can only be sold in un-mixed cases. It’s the law, folks. For most wines, this means cases of 12 bottles. Whether you’re trying something new or watching your wallet, try asking your agent about wines packaged in cases of six. It’s a great option.
Rogers & Company offers more than 250 wines, and we’re excited to showcase a few that are offered in cases of six bottles. If the string of warm days is cause for celebration, try a traditional method sparkling wine from England. Adventure calling? Sicily’s Terra Costantino produces stellar wines on the slopes of Europe’s most active volcano.
If you’re new to Rogers & Company: Welcome! Most wines are sold in unmixed cases of 12, 6, or 3, depending on the item. Delivery is easy: We can bring the wine to your door, or you can stop by our office to pick up and meet the crew and the company dog. To place an order, follow the links to our website, give Chris McLean a call at 647-955-8872, or send him an email at c.mclean@rogcowines.com.
$55.95 per bottle, cases of 6
Today, some Champagne firms are exploring the chalky coastal ridges of southern England in an effort to prepare for the shift in viticultural areas they anticipate will result from changing climate. Mike and Chris Roberts were ahead of the curve when they saw the potential of East Sussex over 20 years ago. They are pioneers in the region, founding Ridgeview, a premium traditional method sparkling wine venture, in 1995.
What to expect from top-tier British bubbly? Nothing but the best: This was the official wine served for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee! Quite the endorsement! Ridgeview’s Bloomsbury Non-Vintage Brut shows the tell-tale qualities of fine sparkling wine produced in the traditional “Champagne method”. A blend of crisp Chardonnay, perfumed Pinot Noir, and fruity Pinot Meunier, the palate is delightfully crisp, generous, and refreshing, with a bright, rounded finish.
“This wine brims with fruit and freshness. A host of apple notions comes alive on nose and palate: The appetizing, ripe tartness of Cox Orange Pippin, the mouthwatering crispness of Granny Smith and the mellowness of Golden Delicious. It has a refreshing, open honesty, juicy and totally inviting. Underneath all that allure lies rich autolysis, underlined by a fine, creamy mousse. Flavours and freshness linger.” – 92 points, Wine Enthusiast, Dec 2017
Click here to order.
Paul Hobbs Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2015
$74.95 per bottle, cases of 6
This Paul Hobbs Chardonnay is the quintessential expression of the Russian River Valley appellation from an exceptional vintage. The fruit was hand-harvested at night and whole-cluster pressed while still cold from the field. It was barrel-fermented by indigenous yeast. Malolactic fermentation occurred spontaneously in barrel. It aged sur lie for 12 months in French oak barrels, and then for four months in stainless steel. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve the incredibly texture that comes from barrel fermentation and battonage.
“The 2015 Chardonnay explodes on the nose and palate with sheer power, delivering full-throttle tropical fruit and allspice flavours with a touch of buttered toast. The full-bodied palate has a lovely savoury edge that offsets the fruit.” – (91-92) points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Feb 2017
Click here to order.
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2014
$84.95 per bottle, cases of 6
“You know you’re doing something right when, after 45 years of Chardonnay winemaking, they name a California Chardonnay style after your winery, the “Montelena style.” In short, it means a non-malolactic, minimally oaked Chardonnay. This estate has long made one of the best examples of a quiet, restrained Chardonnay that ages for 20 or more years.” – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Oct 2014
In the outstanding 2014 season, Calistoga’s iconic winery, Chateau Montelena, turned out another gorgeous Chardonnay. More “Grand Cru Chablis” than “toasty, tropical California”, the wine is restrained, structured, and textural. It unfolds slowly and ages very well.
“This is a dreamy creamy white founded in stoney mineral and juicy acidity that shows a mix of baked apple, pineapple and melon. A tease of green olive provides a briny, salty edge to its tense balance. A lingering hint of vanilla oak figures prominently on the lengthy floral finish.”– 93 points, Wine Enthusiast, Dec 2017
Click here to order.
Giovanni Rosso Barolo DOCG Serralunga 2013
$57.95 per bottle, cases of 6
“It’s no coincidence that some of the most celebrated winemakers in Piedmont – such as Gaja, Giacosa and Conterno – own vineyards in Serralunga, even though their wineries are based elsewhere. Seen by consumers as the most formidable of wines because of their intense tannic structure, Serralunga Barolos are regarded with awe by insiders.” – Stephen Brook on Serralunga, Decanter, Nov 2014
Looking for high-quality Barolo that you don’t need to wait 10 years to open? This is the wine. Made entirely of grapes from one of Piedmont’s most famous sites, it has gorgeous aromatics and a palate built around a core of plump fruit. You’ll still find the broad, weighty feel of the Nebbiolo grape. We recommend decanting this one.
“A fruit-driven style, this red also displays ample tannins. Cherry, strawberry, floral and leafy tobacco flavours are backed by a vibrant structure. Best from 2021 through 2035.” –93 points, Wine Spectator, Feb 2018
Click here to order.
Terra Constantino “deAetna” Etna Rosso 2014
$33.95 per bottle, cases of 6
What’s the pay-off to establishing a vineyard on the side of an active volcano? The mineral-rich soils and steep, elevated vineyards make Sicily’s Mount Etna appellation a seriously exciting place to grow grapes. The star of the show is the red variety Nerello Mascalese, a grape often compared to Piedmont’s Nebbiolo for its ability to produce big red wines that are pale to the eye yet rich on the palate. You’ll find a line of acidic tension, bright red fruit flavours, dark spice, and a structured, savoury quality similar to cool-climate Syrah.
This particular red from Mount Etna wine is 90% Nerello Mascalese and 10% Nerello Cappuccio, an indigenous grape that adds colour, fruit flavour, and richness, but little tannin.
“Terra Costantino boasts the lucky advantage of having Consulting Enologist Luca D’Attoma on their winemaking team. This Tuscan perfectionist brings his maniacal attention to detail to a faraway volcano where nothing is predictable or easy. The estate farms a single, 7.5-hectare parcel located 450 to 550 meters above sea level. Half the vineyard is planted to Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio.” – Monica Larner on Terra Costantino, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Aug 2017
Click here to order.
Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Gran Reserva 2011
$78.95 per bottle, cases of 6
Marqués de Murrieta is a winery of global standing: the oldest, the largest, and perhaps the greatest of all Rioja estates, a “First Growth” if you will. The vineyards are contiguous, the vines are very old, and the winemaking talent is second to none. In fact, Tim Atkins, MW, named Marques de Murrieta’s Maria Vargas “Winemaker of the Year” in his 2017 Rioja report.
The 2011 Gran Reserva is a blend of 91% Tempranillo, 4% Mazuelo, 3% Graciano, and 2% Garnacha, grown at the vast Ygay estate in the south of Rioja Alta. The wine is aged for 24 months in American oak barrels of varying ages and more than three in bottle, surpassing the aging requirements for the Gran Reserva designation.
The 2011 Gran Reserva is a recent release that has yet to be reviewed broadly. Word is the wine will receive a 96-point score in Tim Atkin’s 2018 Rioja Report.
Click here to order.
Robert Craig “Affinity” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
$118.95 per bottle, cases of 6
“Affinity” is a single-vineyard bottling from the La Londe Vineyard, an estate vineyard in the Mt. George foothills just south of Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District. Though the majority of “Affinity” has always come from this site, now the volcanic, stony terroir is showcased. The 2014 vintage is composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvested at 2.8 tons per acre (a low yield of very intense fruit). If rich, perfumed Cabernet is your speed, this is the wine for you. It’s lush, but not overblown, with masterful balance.
“Delicious black raspberry and blackcurrant fruit, some spice box, licorice and incense are all present in this supple-textured, medium to full-bodied, opulent wine, which is sexy, lush and ideal for drinking over the next decade or more. The colour is a healthy dense purple, and the wine full-bodied and textured, with a beautiful finish and real harmony. Drink it over the next decade.” – 92 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Dec 2016
Click here to order.
Rogers & Company is a Good Food Fighter. Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.
