Buy The Case: Treasury Wine Estates

A Report on Consignment Wines in Ontario
Written by Steve Thurlow

Buy the CaseIn this regular feature WineAlign tastes wines submitted by a single importing agent. Our critics independently, as always, review and rate the wines – good, bad and indifferent, and those reviews are posted to WineAlign. We then independently recommend wines to appear in this Buy the Case report. Importers pay for this service. Ads for some wines may appear at the same time, but the decision on which wines to put forward in our report, if any, is entirely up to each critic, as it is with our reviews of in-store wines. 

For an explanation of the program, the process and our 10 Good Reasons to Buy the Case, please click here


This month we’ve implemented a new “Buy a Case Now” button which makes it one-click convenient for you to place your order with the wine agency.  Simply click on one of the wines listed below and you’ll see the button.

Buy A Case Now button

 

Treasury Wine Estates

Treasury Wine Estates is one of the world’s largest premium wine producers. They grow, vinify and market wines, mostly from California and Australia, from world-renowned estates like Stag’s Leap, Beringer, Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Rosemount and also have estates in New Zealand, Argentina and Italy. Many of their wines can be found at LCBO and VINTAGES but others are available through their consignment program, by the case.

The WineAlign Toronto team recently unearthed the following gems during a Buy the Case tasting of wines offered by Treasury Wine Estates.

Most of us thought that Castello Di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva 2012 would be a great personal house wine for any time of the year. It is such a versatile drinkable food-balanced wine. Annie’s Lane 2016 Riesling is a delicious and well-priced riesling that would make a great house white wine.

If you are selecting wines for a restaurant list we thought two wines Chateau St. Jean 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon and Gabbiano 2012  Solatio would all be good wine-by-the-glass selections.

As we approach the Holiday Season Saltram Pepperjack Shiraz 2014 would be a great seasonal selection as we tuck into robust winter fare.

If you are looking for a great wine to have on hand for the holiday season, but don’t want to buy an entire case, then try splitting a case of Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2013 with a friend.

Below I have assembled our picks and suggest reasons why you might consider buying by the case.

Personal House Wines

Castello Di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva 2013Annie's Lane Riesling 2016Annie’s Lane 2016 Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia $14.95

Steve Thurlow – This is a dry riesling with lovely aromas and delicate ripe fruit that is finely balanced with a long crisp finish. It is midweight and quite plush for a Clare riesling. Expect aromas of apple and pear fruit with a mineral waxy tone and lovely lemon citrus floral notes. Quite powerful. Very good length. A versatile white for all manner of occasions; to sip on its own or with a wide range of seafood and cheese dishes.
David Lawrason – Lovely aromatics here! This is a quite ripe, rich riesling with lifted yellow mango/apricot, lemon pith and some vague minty, petrol and waxy notes. It’s medium weight, polished and fresh with firm lemony acidity and alcohol heat. It’s a dry style with power; quite tart on the finish. The length is very good to excellent.

Castello Di Gabbiano Chianti Classico Riserva 2012, Tuscany, Italy $22.95

Steve Thurlow – This is a modern styled Chianti Classico with more new oak than is traditional in the region but it works with the complex savoury, almost meaty aromas mixed with the oak spice and dry cherry fruit. The palate is delicate, dry and soft with enough tannin for balance and grip. The finish is dry and firm with very good length. Best 2016 to 2019.
Michael Godel – Winemaker Federico Cerelli’s 2012 Riserva goes at the ancient ideal with (95 per cent) sangiovese and (5) merlot, of which 70 percent of all estate grapes are used to produce this wine. From the Mercatale Val di Pesa castle vineyards, the CCR is a work of time, energy and investment spent in the vineyard. The cherry is working its way into a burrowing to black and that curtailment of pump overs is again lauded for the corresponding lack of bitterness and astringency. So grown up, so refined and still, so very honest.

Restaurant Pours by the Glass

Gabbiano Solatio 2012Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon 2014Chateau St. Jean 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, California USA $19.95

Michael Godel – Composed from fruit drawn out of the North Coast and Central Coast, this Cabernet Sauvignon works in the simplest, apropos ways. Highly aromatic, well-structured, righteously crafted and respectfully restrained. Would proudly pour any night of the week as a house wine.
Steve Thurlow – This is a pretty very appealing cabernet with some nice floral tones to the cassis fruit and oak spice. The midweight palate is soft and juicy and dry with some mild tannin on the finish. Good to very good length. A good wine by the glass selection.

Gabbiano Solatio 2012, Tuscany, Italy $16.95

Michael Godel – Same sunny disposition as before, this IGT cavaliere of Toscana with even more clarion brightness and tonality than even before. Nearly one year later the adobe affluence has deepened but the peppery bite has loosened. From fruit to agricoltura.
Steve Thurlow – This is a red blend of 50% syrah, 45% cabernet franc and 5% sangiovese with aromas of black cherry fruit with prune, lemon and mild oak spice. It is midweight and soft with the ripe fruit balanced by soft tannin and gentle acidity. Good length with a soft dry finish. Chill a little and try with mild cheese like Gouda or mild Cheddar. Best 2016 to 2018.

Seasonal Selection

Saltram Pepperjack Shiraz 2014 Barossa Valley, South Australia $24.95

Michael Godel – The Pepperjack is an example of grace under pressure. The fruit covers a good breadth of Barossa vineyards and the waves in this ’14 oscillate between dark fruit and taut structure. Something exotic in terms of spice permeates the bold and bountiful fruit. Quite a success.

Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2013

pepperjack_shiraz_saltram_of_barossa_webWine Pooling

Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2013, Coonawarra, South Australia $34.95

David Lawrason – This is a compact, delicious and focused shiraz with all the aromatic lift and minerality of Coonawarra. Expect generous but tightly wound aromas of blackcurrant, pepper, fresh herbs and oak vanillin, with some cordite (gunpowder). It’s deep and even with great focus and some elegance. Excellent length with fine fruit definition. Best 2017 to 2023.
Michael Godel – This Bin 128 seduces. Disperses Coonawarra terra rossa as only grapes grown on that soil can, in the form of elegance, sumptuousness and structural symmetry. Coonawarra has that effect on shiraz, doling out equanimity between fruit, acid and tannin, naturally and without equivocation. Curiously 128 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Perhaps this Bin shiraz will always seem younger than it really is.
Steve Thurlow – Bin 128 is consistently a high-quality offering from Penfolds. It is slimmer than most South Australia shiraz no doubt due to its origins in Coonawarra. Expect cassis and blueberry fruit with herbal and lemon tones plus some chocolate and vanilla notes. It is midweight and elegant on the palate with rich mature finely divided tannin and soft lemony acidity adding to its appeal. Excellent length. Best 2016 to 2022.


This report was sponsored by Treasury Wine Estates. WineAlign critics have independently recommended the above wines based on reviews that are posted on WineAlign as part of this sponsored tasting. Treasury Wine Estates has provided the following information.

Consignment at Treasury Wine Estates:

Treasury Wine EstatesWe are passionate about providing our clientele with the very best wines and service in the industry. We provide daytime delivery to your residence or office within the Greater Toronto Area. This service is completely complimentary, regardless of the volume purchased. We strive to ensure that all orders are delivered within five business days.

Our consignment program has been designed to make the procurement of our fine wines simple and bespoke. Wines can also be delivered to an LCBO store of your choice at no additional cost.  This service usually takes two to four weeks however, could take longer based on the geographical location of the clientele’s LCBO of choice. The cases arrive pre-paid and we simply email an invoice or credit card slip in advance. The store will then call to notify you when the requested wine has arrived.

Throughout the process, your personal consignment concierge is only a phone call or email away if there are any questions.

Phone: 905-337-6217  |  Mobile: 416-358-0177

[email protected]  | [email protected]