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Top 5 Brunello (Sangiovese) at the LCBO
Buyer’s Guide to Vintages January 24th Release
John Szabo’s Review January 24, 2026: Can You Taste Climate Change? Chile in the spotlight By John Szabo MS, with notes from David Lawrason, Michael Godel, Sara d’Amato and Megha Jandhyala Image: Frogpond Winery, Napa Valley Can you taste climate change? The answer is unequivocably yes. In the wine world, it means riper fruit flavours, […] More
If I Could Buy Only One – January 10th Vintages Release
We asked our writers,“If you could buy only one wine from the January 10th release, which one would it be and why?” Lavau Côtes Du Rhône 2024, Rhône, France$14.95, Connexion OenophiliaJohn Szabo – My only one comes from a region long regarded as a source of excellent value wines, the kind you’ll always find on […] More
Buyer’s Guide to Vintages January 10th Release
Annual Smart Buys; The Recipe for Value, and Crozes Hermitage in the Spotlight By John Szabo MS, with notes from David Lawrason, Michael Godel, Sara d’Amato and Megha Jandhyala “Smart Buys” is the Vintages January 10 release theme, the focus of the first release of the year for as long as I can remember. There […] More
National Wine Awards of Canada
Canada's premier wine awards. In 2022, 24 judges tasted over 1,900 wines from 250 wineries across the country to identify Canada's top wines.
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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.
