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Top 5 Brunello at the LCBO
If I Could Buy Only One – July 10th VINTAGES Release
We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from this release, which one would it be and why?” ($29.95, Marchands Des Ameriques Inc.) John Szabo – I’ve been celebrating the international cool climate chardonnay celebration (i4c) every third weekend in July since its inception in 2010, and this year will be no […] More
Unmasking the IGP Pays d’Oc – Special Feature
by Sara d’Amato This feature was commissioned by Pays d’Oc IGP. One of the world’s most sought-after tourist destinations, France’s Mediterranean coast boasts an impressive number of sunshine hours but also great reprieve from heat due to its drying winds and variations in altitude. The IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée, or in English, Protected Geographic Indication) […] More
Buyer’s Guide to VINTAGES July 10th, 2021
Ontario Chardonnay Grabs the Spotlight By David Lawrason, with reviews from John Szabo, Sara d’Amato and Michael Godel There was big news out of London, England last week when Hidden Bench 2018 Felseck Vineyard Chardonnay from Niagara’s Beamsville Bench took a “Best in Show” award at the massive Decanter (Magazine) World Wine Awards. Press releases […] 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.
