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Top 5 Brunello at the LCBO
Extraordinary Consistency is the Secret Ingredient by David Lawrason Every autumn Penfolds of Australia releases its new collection of luxury wines around the world. A portion of Penfolds 2020 collection, including Grange 2016, one of the world’s most collected wines, is being released in Ontario through a VINTAGES Exclusive virtual release on October 22. WineAlign […] More
D’Amato & Szabo: Wine Thieves – Episode 6
Provence Part I: Rosé All Ways in Côtes de Provence John and Sara set sail on Provence, navigating the Mediterranean coastline, sampling rosé, structured reds and coveted white wines while speaking to some of the region’s top producers. It may come as no surprise that it is continental France’s sunniest region but did you know […] More
D’Amato & Szabo: Wine Thieves – Episode 5
Bourgogne for a Changing World Episode 5: The Mâconnais The Mâconnais is the most southerly terroir of the Bourgogne wine growing region and where our 5-part series on Bourgogne wines (and the Regional AOCs with a “+” complementary designation) comes to an end. Here, everything you need to know about the Mâcon region, the new Pouilly-Fuissé […] More
National Wine Awards of Canada
Discover Canada's best wines! In 2016, 22 judges tasted 1,535 wines from 230 wineries across the country to identify Canada's top wines.
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World Wine Awards of Canada
Seventeen judges tasted 1,000 wines in 21 categories in 2015 to find the world's best wines sold in Canada under $50.
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Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most prestigious appellations in Italy, born in the 19th Century in its present form thanks to the efforts of the Biondi-Santi family, who defined its rules and have largely guided it to the present day. The wines are made from 100% Sangiovese grape, in particular from a clone called Sangiovese Grosso, or also as Brunello - hence the appellation's name. Traditionally, the wine goes through an extended maceration period where color, tannins and flavour are extracted from the skins. Following fermentation the wine is then aged in oak. Traditionally, the wines are aged 3 years or more in "botti" - large Slovenian oak casks that impart little oak flavour and generally produce more austere wines. Some winemakers will use small French barrels which impart a more pronounced vanilla oak flavour and add a certain fruitiness to the wine. Whatever the approach, wines must be aged for for years (with a minimum of two years in barrel) before being released, according to appellation rules.
