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Top 5 Brunello (Sangiovese) at the LCBO
If I Could Buy Only One – November 19 VINTAGES Release
We asked our writers, “If you could buy only one wine from this release, which one would it be and why?” ($54.95, Vino Wine Merchants Inc. (Profile)David Lawrason – Here’s a cellaring candidate and a great value in Barolo. I found myself smelling this wine a half dozen times before taking a sip. The Aurelio […] More
Irish Whiskey – Special Report
By Stephen Beaumont for WineAlign Ask any spirits industry observer and they will tell you that Irish whiskey is one of the hottest categories around these days. They’re right, although by Irish whiskey they really mean Jameson, since the Pernod Ricard-owned powerhouse accounts for the vast majority of Irish whiskey sales in North America, as […] More
Buyer’s Guide to VINTAGES November 19 Release
Canadian Stars, Chilean Gems, Critics Picks and Ontario’s Best Sommelier By David Lawrason, with notes from John Szabo, MS, Sara d’Amato, Michael Godel and Megha Jandhyala The VINTAGES November 19 release catalogue is once again gleaming with wines that the LCBO marketing department thinks make great gifts. A few weeks ago, John Szabo penned a […] More
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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.
