Curated with love, discover a wide selection of delicious reds that will please even the most discerning palate.
100 products
100 products
- Red Wine
- Cabernet Franc, Merlot
- Dry
- 750ml
- 13.50% alc./vol
About the Winery
Château du Moulin Noir
This beautiful right-bank Bordeaux estate consistently produces high-value, elegant and classic Merlot dominant wines and is considered one of the most famous Château of this appellation. Located in Montagne-Saint-Emilion, Château Moulin Noir consists of seven hectares of vineyards on clay and limestone soils.
This château owes its name to a family feuddating back to the Middle Ages. Two brothers were arguing about their father’s legacy with the youngest brother being incredibly jealous that everything went to the elder. He was so jealous that he burnt the château to the ground - Moulin Noir translates to “blackened Mill”.
Press Reviews
Wine Align
92 points - David Lawrason
This great vintage continues to show-off. This very much alive, elegant and intense with well proportioned and integrated aromas of vibrant raspberry fruit, tobacco, cedar, graphite and some maturing earthiness. I like the energy and vibrancy, with firm tannin still, and excellent length. Tasted March 2023
92 points - Michael Godel
Tasting this after the very mature 2012 makes this 2010 seem like a young pup in comparison. So youthful in fact there persists a spring in its step and freshness on the fruit dominant aromatics. No haste to the secondary here in fact that stage is barely upon this Lussac Saint-Émilion Right Bank wine. Five dollars cheaper as well so much more of a value and great deal for restaurant lists, but also those who are looking for immediate consumption in well-aged Bordeaux. This is where where you want it for either of those reasons. Some sweet and sour caramel and seasoned burnt ends are beefy and delicious at the finish. Drink 2023-2025. Tasted March 2023.
92 points - Sara d'Amato
For this 2010 blend, grapes are sourced from a satellite region of Bordeaux known as Lussac-Saint-Emilion even though the estate is located in neighbouring Montagne-Saint Emilion. Lussac-Saint-Emilion is the northernmost of the satellites and is slightly higher and more hilly than the others. The name of the estate means "blackened mill", and is in reference to two feuding brothers of the Middle Ages one of which burned the Château to the ground. From an excellent vintage, this 13-year-old wine has held up remarkably well and is a delight to drink at present, salty and a touch ferrous with dried wild herbs, leather and macerated cherry on the palate. The tannins have been abated over time adding a velvety volume to the palate. Excellent length. Tasted April 2023.
- Red Wine, White Wine
- Arneis, Barbera, Cortese, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
About the Winery
Punset
While the vineyards that form Punset have been farmed by the Marcarino family for generations, it is truly thanks to Marina and her incredible energy that the estate is how it is nowadays. In the 1980s, she decided to pursue organic farming – a demanding choice that was rewarded by becoming the first estate to receive the organic certification in Italy. Her passion for the soil and the environment led her to embrace biodynamics and the agronomic philosophy of Manasobu Fukuoka. From one of the healthiest vineyards in Italy, Marina crafts wines that brim with life, energy, and pure terroir.
Known for the very first certified organic Barbaresco of Italy, Marina continues to show the world that you can preserve tradition and think of the future simultaneously.
- Red Wine, White Wine
- Carignan, Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah
- Sustainable
- Dry
- 750ml
About the Winery
Clos del Rey
In the foothills of the Pyrénées Mountains, not far from the Mediterranean sea, Clos del Rey is situated in the high altitude hills over the tiny village of Maury. The estate has been owned and farmed by the Montagne family for generations. The vineyard itself is nestled among a protected area of garrigues (rosemary and thyme). The vines of up to 120 years old are allowed to grow natural and untrained, in the old-fashioned way, known as the goblet or bush style. However, it is what lies beneath the vineyard that lends much of the character and complexity found in their wines. Julien Montagne makes complex wines that truly represent his vineyards and his Catalan roots--you can almost smell the sun in the glass.
Pearce Predhomme
Pearce Predhomme is a collaboration of like-minded individuals from around the globe. Founded with a mission to build and import wines from our favourite appellations while offering an unequaled value/quality ratio for the sommeliers & wine buyers in Ontario. This is a project between Toronto Sommelier and entrepreneur Will Predhomme and Ontario wine importer Nicholas Pearce. They have partnered with Radford Dale in South Africa and NorthWest Wine Co. in Oregon to create these special cuvées.
Villa Calcinaia
Villa Calcinaia is situated in the centre of Chianti Classico near the town of Greve-in-Chianti. This historic estate has been home to the Counts Capponi since 1524, and is maintained by Sebastiano Capponi and his brother Niccolo. In 1992, Count Sebastiano Capponi became the first in the history of the family to manage the winery personally, giving a new life to the vineyards and the cellar.
The family owns 200 hectares of land planted with olive trees, vines and pine trees. Organic farming is the standard at Villa Calcinaia where 75 acres of vineyard are planted with Sangiovese, Merlot, Canaiolo, Grechetto, Vernaccia, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. Through every vintage, the wines are crafted with food in mind. They are balanced, elegant, perfumed, and savoury yet refreshing with restrained vigour and intensity that ensures longevity.
- Red Wine
- Grenache
- Natural, Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.8% alc./vol
About the Winery
Bodegas Puiggròs
Since 1843, the Puiggros family has been producing wines from their own vines in the Odena region of Catalunya for the family and close friends. Over generations they had come to realize that their vineyards and techniques were something worth sharing with the world. A sincere dedication to the terroir in their zone and the indigenous varieties that grow there, allows them to constantly discover ways to unlock all of the magic that lies within their land.
Starting with conscious and clean farming in the vineyard, they hand-harvest only the best fruit for their production, and ferment each vineyard separately in varying vessels to accentuate what the vines have to show; some in stainless steel, and many in clay amphora of differing sizes. All the while seeing very little sulfur use (if any) until bottling. Puiggros is pushing the quality of northeastern Spain's wines forward, and doing so in a clean and unique way.
Press Reviews
WineAlign
91 points - David Lawrason
Exedra Negre is 100% Garnatxa (Catalan for grenache) planted on limestone and clay soils at 500 meters. Part is fermented in large concrete, part in amphora. It pours fairly pale but bright ruby. The aromas are classic grenache strawberry jam with fine, subtle array of tobacco, pepper and herbs in the background. It is medium weight, fresh, balanced and almost refined - not really showing its 14.5% alcohol except for a slight kirsch flavour to the fruit on the finish. The length is excellent. Chill a bit. Tasted January 2026.
91 points - Michael Godel
Warm vintage for garnatxa aged in clay-pot (amphora) from Odena’s limestone and clay soils at 500m in the shadow of the Montserrat massif. Consistent sweet red candied fruit aroma, always alluring and quite naturally so. The amphora does not take over the character but seems to simply allow the land to do the talking. Drink 2026-2029. Tasted January 2026.
90 points - John Szabo, MS
Pure grenache vinified and aged in amphora, the wine shows oxidative aromatics, candied/dried fruit and shoe polish, more advanced than one would hope for at this relatively young age. The palate is nonetheless, silky-smooth and broadly appealing, soft and round as it is, generous without heaviness. I like the saline nature that encourages another sip and brings the fruit and wild herb flavours into sharper relief. Acids are equally helpful in framing the ensemble. In the end it works nicely; drink over the near term to capture the fading freshness. Tasted January 2026.
- Red Wine
- Nebbiolo
- Biodynamic, Natural, Organic, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 14% alc./vol
About the Winery
Punset
While the vineyards that form Punset have been farmed by the Marcarino family for generations, it is truly thanks to Marina and her incredible energy that the estate is how it is nowadays. In the 1980s, she decided to pursue organic farming – a demanding choice that was rewarded by becoming the first estate to receive the organic certification in Italy. Her passion for the soil and the environment led her to embrace biodynamics and the agronomic philosophy of Manasobu Fukuoka. From one of the healthiest vineyards in Italy, Marina crafts wines that brim with life, energy, and pure terroir.
Known for the very first certified organic Barbaresco of Italy, Marina continues to show the world that you can preserve tradition and think of the future simultaneously.
Press Reviews
James Suckling
92 points
This is tasting beautifully now with strawberry, cedar, and hazelnut character. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins that need to soften. But very pretty already. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years. Try after 2024.
Wine Enthusiast
90 points
Blue flower, underbrush and wild herb aromas mix with a whiff of tobacco. Racy and linear, the palate offers sour cherry, star anise and a hint of rusted iron alongside taut, close-grained tannins that leave a drying finish.
WineAlign
94 points (2019) - Michael Godel
Lovely nebbiolo built on substantial fruit, fluidity, ease, calm and a well structured frame. A beautiful Barbareso from Neive that has already resolved quite dutifully and is just about ready to drink with philanthropy in the proverbial window. Steady and graceful, a very charming wine that everyone needs to know. Drink 2025-2032. Tasted blind at Nebbiolo Prima January 2024.
- Red Wine
- Syrah
- Biodynamic, Natural, Organic, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 12.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Domaine du Coulet - Matthieu Barret
Matthieu Barret was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1975 and studied viticulture in Beaune.
He is the 7th generation vigneron and joined his grandfather in Cornas in 1997. Previously, his family had only been farming and selling grapes. He practices biodynamic viticulture, obtaining very low yields (23 hl/ha) and extraordinary quality. He describes his wines as being 100% grape, with a very low sulphite addition. His wines are extremely clean, and, true to the Cornas character. Domaine du Coulet was founded by Matthieu Barret’s grandfather after WWII, and over the years has supplied grapes to some of the best known producers in the Northern Rhône, including Chapoutier and Delas. While his father eschewed the agrarian lifestyle, opting instead for a career in international business, Matthieu knew early on that he wanted to be a vigneron. In 1998 at the age of only 23, he took over the family’s 25 acres of well-situated vines on the terraced hillsides of Cornas.
From the beginning, Matthieu has employed natural, organic practices and by 2002 (his second year of production) the domaine received its biodynamic certification. With each vintage, Matthieu has gained a better understanding of his vine parcels and through thoughtful experimentation, he now turns out a remarkable selection of Cornas wines that express the unique nuances of each micro-terroir. No new oak, no racking, minimal use of sulfur and no fining or filtration. Pure, sexy Syrah.
- Red Wine
- Pinot Noir
- Dry
- Light Bodied
- 750ml
- 12.7% alc./vol
About the Winery
Keint-He
Keint-He Winery & Vineyards is a boutique winery located in Prince Edward County. The winery has a strong focus on varietals that are typically grown in Burgundy, specifically Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; through which they truly express the best of the County with wonderful individual expressions. Keint-He’s approach to winemaking is as down-to-earth as it gets and their quality is second to none.
- Red Wine
- Tempranillo
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 1 g/l
- 750ml
- 13.55% alc./vol
About the Winery
Bideona
Bideona owns or manages over 300 parcels of extraordinary vines in villages throughout the Rioja Alavesa, the coolest, smallest and most Atlantic sub-zone of Spain’s most famous wine region.
The vineyards of the Rioja Alavesa are defined by parcels of old bush vines planted on terraces or hillside slopes with a high percentage of limestone. Located in the foothills of the Sierra Cantabria, Bideona’s vines have an average age of 50 years and many were planted in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, before high-yielding clones became available.
Bideona puts the focus firmly on terroir by making each wine in its Vino de Pueblo range as a field blend of Tempranillo and other native varieties from plots in an individual village. Each is named with an acronym – L3Z4 for Leza, L4GD4 for Laguardia, S4MG0 for Samaniego and V1BN4 for Villabuena – owing to DOCa Rioja regulations that only allow village names to be marked if both the winery and the vineyard are in the same location.
“Bideona’s reason for existence is to make wines that show the personality of the Rioja Alavesa and its historic wine villages” states company co-founder and director, Andreas Kubach MW. “We have access to a wealth of diverse plant material in our parcels of old vines, which we believe contributes to the complexity of the wines as well as the differences between villages.”
Press Reviews
WineAlign
91 points - Megha Jandhyala, S.J.D., DipWSET.
With its open, unassuming, and unguarded personality, this wine is a lovely entry-point into Biedeona's portfolio. I love the bright fruit flavours, red and dark, resinous herbs, wildflowers, and hints of pepper depicted here. The palate is medium bodied, with supple acidity and balanced, firming tannins. An herbal note lingers on the finish, closing off the delightfully expressive palate. I would enjoy this modern Rioja now or over the next couple of years in order to benefit from its youthful charm. Tasted January 2026.
90 points - Sara d'Amato
Crisp with delicate floral aromatics, this wine shows the cool, higher-elevation “Alavesa” character, but with greater weight at 14% alcohol. Notes of violet, cherry, raspberry leaf, and pink peppercorn add charm. Juicy, youthful, and effortlessly stylish, both in the glass and in its packaging. Intriguing, satisfying - a not-so-guilty pleasure. Tasted January 2026.
- Red Wine
- Pinot Noir
- Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Light Bodied
- 750ml
- 12.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Leaning Post
A leaning post is what you find at the beginning of a row of grapes, anchoring the wires that are the frame-work for growing grapevines. It is the beginning of an obsession to translate a time and place into liquid. Leaning Post wines take you to that beginning by finding small, unique plots of land in Niagara and putting them in bottle. Because after stripping away all the fancy buildings and high-tech equipment you are left with a place on this earth that grows wine unlike any other. When you taste that in a glass you just know it. Nadia and Ilya have had to rely on the support of family, friends and financial institutions to make the dream of owning a winery a reality. Leaning Post began as a virtual winery and is so proud to now have the quaint tasting room at 1491 Hwy 8 on their home property in Winona, Ontario.
Ilya and Nadia are the brains and passion behind Leaning Post Wines. It started with a dream to take unique, interesting single vineyard blocks in Niagara and turn them into distinctive, terroir driven wines. Nadia and Ilya first met in their hometown of Winnipeg, MB where their passion for wine and each other was born.
Ilya has been a winemaker in the Niagara Region for the last 17 vintages working at Daniel Lenko Estate Winery, Foreign Affair and now at Leaning Post Wines. Ilya is also a consulting winemaker at the Good Earth Winery. Ilya’s true passion in life is to make world renowned wines from Niagara that really showcase the distinct terroir that Niagara offers.
- Red Wine, White Wine
- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Trousseau
- Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
About the Winery
Domaine Baud Père et Fils
The history of Domaine Baud dates back to 1742, and it wasn't until 1950 when René Baud, the 7th generation, rebuilt the vineyard which had suffered from the phylloxera crisis and two World Wars.
Starting with only 4 hectares, the vineyard progressively expanded to 20 hectares with the help of successive generations. Now, managed by siblings Clémentine and Bastien, the 9th generation, the estate continues to flourish and grow, with a strong commitment to sustainable viticulture and preserving the traditions and style that makes the wines of the Jura so unique and incredible.
The estate achieved the Terra Vitis certification in 2014 for its eco-friendly work and environmental preservation.
- Red Wine
- Cinsault
- Natural, Organic, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Domaine Frédéric Brouca
Frédéric grew up in Normandy and met his Canadian wife Elaine at university in Lille, Northern France. They live a nomadic lifestyle (Canada, India, Singapore and USA) though Frédéric spends about half of his time in Faugères. Since early age, Frédéric had a calling for farming and the fierce desire to become a winegrower. After completing a Masters Degree in Finance in 2001, Frédéric went back to college for a Sommelier diploma and started his career as a Burgundy wine broker.
In late 2012, Frédéric and Elaine were fortunate to take over 25 acres of old vines in Faugères, organically farmed for twenty years and deeply rooted in schist soils.
2013 was the inaugural vintage for Domaine Frédéric Brouca. In his modest winery in the village of Laurens, Frédéric is creating a new vision for Faugères wines; fresh, vibrant and made without artifice. Nothing revolutionary, simply returning to our grandparent's ideology of farming and winemaking to craft 'Vins Vivants'. The Faugères Appellation is in the heart of Languedoc in the Hérault department. Here, winemaking dates back to the Greek times and was developed during the Roman Era. It wasn't until the early 1900's, however, that the wines became more widely known for its unique schist soils and moderate Mediterranean climate. These villages are heavily reliant on wine as an important part of their culture and economy.
The area is stunning with mountain views and close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea (20 miles / 30 kms). Faugères has a long history of responsible farming. It boasts the highest percentage of organic vineyards for any AOC in all of France with almost 50% of farmers making the choice.
Press Reviews
Wine Align
92 points (2021) - Michael Godel
Samsó Seulle is varietal cinsault from 40-plus year-old bush vines on the 'La Serre' hill in Faugères. At the higher end for whole cluster ferments in the Fréderic Brouca range, here at 70 percent. Samsó is the local name for the grape and Brouca goes gentle and slow in his trenchant intention on how to deal with extracting without shock and awe. The grapes and thus the wine come out soft and “glissement,” even while the swarthy volatility runs knowably high. Brettanomyces yeasts are simply, allegedly and unequivocally part of the fabric but because flavours and textures are so pretty there is no chance of brittle or crumbly tannins. And so the overall effect is good, generous and proper. At least once in your lifetime your vinous imperative is to try a wine like this, especially from Brouca. Drink 2024-2028. Tasted January 2023.
92 points (2021) - Sara d'Amato
Named "Samsó" the local name for cinsault (and phonetically very similar), Brouca's fruit is sourced from organically grown, old vine cinsault that is over 40 years of age. Often vinified with a good deal of whole-cluster giving the wine its necessary grip and then slowly matured in neutral vessels to preserve the varietal character. There is more wildness in this cuvée than many of Brouca's others, with a palate that is brimming with dried earth, wildflower, and fresh herbs, along with a touch of mushroom and musk. A notably pure expression of grape variety and features the concentration one might expect from a low-yielding drought vintage. Notes of cherry, fennel and licorice root permeate the finish of very good length. Best now to 2028. Tasted January 2024.
91 points (2021) - David Lawrason
This is an organically grown single vineyard cinsault, a variety making paler, red fruited wines. It has a distinctive, soft ripe nose of strawberry jam, very floral lilac/peony, a touch of char and earth. There is also some meatiness expressed more on the palate. It is medium bodied, supple, warm and generous with slightly gritty tannin. Excellent fruit concentration and length. Tasted January 2024
90 points (2021) - John Szabo
Pure old vine cinsault (aka samsó) from the south of France, organically farmed and handled minimally, Brouca latest 2021 is a typically wild and vibrant, crunchy and juicy red declared at just 12.5% alcohol, part philosophy, part cooler, wetter vintage no doubt, and all the more lively for it. The palate is notably gritty with light but angular tannins bouncing off tingly acids, containing a mouthful of tart red fruit, from red currant to sour cherry, free from oak influence, but featuring lots of wild savoury herbs and twiggy flavours. The finish lingers surprisingly for such a light wine. Chill lightly and serve over the next 2-4 years. Authentic and honest; I like the lift and transparency. Tasted January 2024.
- Red Wine
- Malbec
- Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 13% alc./vol
About the Winery
Château Lamartine
The Château Lamartine stands at the extremely west side of the Cahors Appellation, on the oldest of Lot Valley’s terraces. The terroir of the 37 hectares faces South on clay and limestone soils which guarantees a perfect maturity to the Malbec.For four generations, the Gayraud family has given the greatest care to the vines as well as the wine-making. This is the key to get the purest expression from the terroirs.
Press Reviews
Wine Align
92 points (2018) - Michael Godel
The 2018 “Tradition” bottling represented Cahors with good distinction and from first nose this follow-up ’19 takes that excellence one step further. Not that it gives anything away for free because there is some reserve here but the wine opens with air and agitation to reveal classicism in every respect. The fruit is mature and slow developed, ever so slightly charred and surely on a low trajectory of incrementally developing complexity. Cautious now and yet so close to drinking as well it it’s ever going to be. Drink 2024-2028. Tasted March 2023.
91 points (2018) - John Szabo
Open and fragrant, maturing nicely at this stage, Lamartine's classic Cahors (90% malbec with 10% merlot), is a lovely and succulent wine, well-proportioned and fresh, with lively acids and a real limestone twang. Wood is fully in the background, an accessory to complexity, while tannins are ripe, fine and silky and length is exceptional in the price category. Classy, well made wine, authentic, and surely better than most Bordeaux for the money. Drink or hold another 4-6 years. Tasted March 2023.
- Red Wine
- Grenache, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Trebbiano
- Organic, Sustainable
- Dry
- 750ml
- Red Wine
- Pinot Noir
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 3.00 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.00% alc./vol
About the Winery
Groupe Bellene
Led by Nicolas Potel in Beaune, Groupe Bellene is composed of the négociant arm Maison Roche de Bellene, the winery arm Domaine de Bellene, and a special back-vintage series under the Collection Bellenum label.
- Maison Roche de Bellene offers a complete range of wines, with an emphasis on individual terroirs from old vines of more than 40 years. All of the growers that Nicolas works with are either organic certified or sustainably farmed.
- Domaine de Bellene represents the wines that are produced and bottled from Nicolas Potel's private vineyard holdings.
- Collection Bellenum is a back vintage series that Nicolas Potel sourced from his friends in the region, offering a magnificent selection of bottled history. The wines have moved only twice in their lives, from the original cellar to Potel's and now to yours!
Nicolas Potel grew up at Volnay's Domaine Pousse d'Or, where his father worked. He trained abroad and returned home in 1996 to build a négociant business and started Maison Nicolas Potel, where he sourced grapes from good parcels, often working with the growers to improve the quality. By 2002, he was making 120 wines from 50 different appellations, and the rest is history!
Press Reviews
WineAlign
90 Points - David Lawrason
This is a fairly pale, light and tender pinot noir that is nicely balanced, typical and complete. The nose captures fairly generous red cherry nicely suffused with light spice, red rose and forest floor. It is light bodied, quite smooth and elegant with slightly crusty tannin and some heat. Very good to excellent length. Best now to 2023.
- Red Wine
- Grenache, Syrah
- Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 3.00 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 14.50% alc./vol
About the Winery
Domaine Andre Aubert
At the very heart of the Rhône Valley, at the northerly tip of the Southern Rhône, lie the vineyards of Grignan-Les-Adhémar. The chances are you haven’t heard the name before, few people have, but the wines are worth seeking out. It’s not a new wine region – vines have been planted here since around 500BC but it is a new name (formerly known as Côteaux-du-Tricastin). Domaine André Aubert, has been formed over decades and today comprises of more than 280 hectares spread from north to south of the prestigious Southern Rhone Valley on the appellations Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône villages, Visan, and Grignan-les-Adhémar.
Press Reviews
James Suckling
90 Points
A medium-bodied red with blackberries, currants, herbs and baking spices on the nose. Fine tannins with a juicy core of berries and peppercorns on the palate and a flavourful finish. Grenache, syrah and mourvedre. Drink now.
- Red Wine
- Pinotage
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 2.00 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 12.00% alc./vol
Press Reviews
Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2026
4 Stars
“… very soft tannin, light texture. Yet variety’s juicy, high-toned flavour is eloquently expressed, & 2024 is generous & appealing.”
WineAlign
90 Points - David Lawrason
What great value for such pure and friendly expression of pinotage. Historically most have tried too hard with this grape, but here the whole berry/carbonic fermentation is allowing pure and simple expression of the strawberry/rhubarb, leafy green and some flint. It is medium weight, open-knit, rounded, a touch sour-edged, with that distinct pinotage rusty nail note on the finish. Excellent length and delicious.
- Red Wine
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 3.00 g/l
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 14.50% alc./vol
About the Winery
Sister's Run
Sister’s Run is serious fun. Their talented young winemaker Elena wears steel cap work boots every day of course, but carries a pair of high heels in back of the ute, only for emergencies, like last minute invitations to accept trophies at gala wine show dinners and the like.
Returning from a ‘knees-up’ at midnight, mid vintage, she managed to kick off one high heel and slip back into a boot’ just as the cellar crew cried out, ‘Run Sister Run’; and exactly then their winemaker and label took flight!
The stiletto and boot are Sister’s Run; an independently owned and operated winery with a fierce commitment to making the best wines they can from family vineyards. They don’t take ourselves as seriously as we take our wines, but agree with Elena, all you need to know about wine is the five ‘V’s and remember the best wine is the wine you like.
Press Reviews
James Suckling
92 Points
Dark olives, cracked pepper, sage and underbrush. The palate has a round texture with voluminous, persistent blue fruit character, polished tannins and a well-defined compact finish. Drink or hold.
- Red Wine
- Sangiovese
- Dry
- 750ml
- 14.50% alc./vol
About the Winery
Cortonesi
“I’m a lucky man who has been given the opportunity to realize my dream and continue my family’s efforts making wine in the land where I was born.” – Tommaso Cortonesi
Tommaso is third-generation winemaker at Cortonesi that owns some of the most prized vineyards in the north and south-east of Montalcino. Favourable geography, rocky soils, and ingenious winemaking all come together to create some of the region's deepest and most elegant Brunello wines.
The Cortonesi family has been making wine since the 1970s. At first, wines were made to be enjoyed by family, friends and neighbours, but then in 1985, Cortonesi had gained enough traction within their community that they began to offer their wines commercially. Today, Cortonesi remains a family business that continues to work according to tradition, while employing modern technologies to the enhance the quality of their production.
Lovers of Sangiovese must experience “La Mannella”, a collection of wines exclusively sourced from Cortonesi's private vine land. This farm covers 56 hectares, eight of which are devoted to the production of some of the world's most coveted and age-worthy Brunello di Montalcino.
Press Reviews
Gardini Notes
97+ Points
From the historic farm, the product of an excellent work between the countryside and the cellar, an emblematic Brunello: raspberry on the nose, touches of nutmeg, then caper fruit and ginger. Slightly salty on the palate, finish with notes of raspberry and sweet spices. Great length.
Wine Align
95 points - Michael Godel
Tomasso Cortonesi's quip is messaged through the mouth of Francesco Ripaccioli: "When you have no space you have money. So you build a cellar and then you have space - but you have no money." Appropriate irony from a northwestern Montalcinese winemaker whose La Mannella history has been one of Tetris - but that will soon change. The quality of his wines from this property arrive at peak form with an outstanding 2019 and going forward new cellar space will help to raise the bar. A bar set by these two Brunello boys who bottle in May because "that's when the Annata are ready." Also allows a rest period for six months in bottle ahead of Benvenuto Brunello and eight before a January release. Tomasso's '19 is fragrant but the kind at dusk on a cool November day in Montalcino, just like an hour ago. The most natural sweetness in a La Mannella sangiovese that has ever been noted and that makes for a Brunello you can find early gratification, but deeper down is the understanding concerning a sangiovese with fortified structure. Purely, expressly La Mannella, fresh and of a Brunello with great purpose. Drink 2027-2038. Tasted November 2023.
92 points - John Szabo, MS
A creamy and ripe, lightly lactic and wood-influenced Brunello in the Cortonesi house style, rarely tight and angular, often approachable and velvety, like this example. It's a sleek and sophisticated example in a forward and enjoyable style - should please widely over the mid term - 2026-2036. Tasted November 2023.
- Red Wine
- Carignan, Grenache
- Sustainable
- Dry
- 750ml
- Red Wine
- Carignan
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 14.8% alc./vol
About the Winery
Bodegas Puiggròs
Since 1843, the Puiggros family has been producing wines from their own vines in the Odena region of Catalunya for the family and close friends. Over generations they had come to realize that their vineyards and techniques were something worth sharing with the world. A sincere dedication to the terroir in their zone and the indigenous varieties that grow there, allows them to constantly discover ways to unlock all of the magic that lies within their land.
Starting with conscious and clean farming in the vineyard, they hand-harvest only the best fruit for their production, and ferment each vineyard separately in varying vessels to accentuate what the vines have to show; some in stainless steel, and many in clay amphora of differing sizes. All the while seeing very little sulfur use (if any) until bottling. Puiggros is pushing the quality of northeastern Spain's wines forward, and doing so in a clean and unique way.
Press Reviews
WineAlign
94 points (2021) - David Lawrason
This is a quite lovely, refined and intriguing Priorat - not as 'heavy' and powerful as some but so nicely expressing the carinyena (carignan) grape. Expect lifted aromas of pomegranate/raspberry with florals, fresh herbs, earth and mineral notes all finely integrated. It is medium-full bodied, lively and almost juicy with carignan's natural energy at work. Tannins are dry and dusty but not green. The length is excellent to outstanding. Will age another ten years but approachable now. Tasted May 2025
93 points (2021) - Michael Godel
The work of Bodegas Puiggrós happens in Catalunya and also here in Priorat where the soils are predominantly slate, known locally as “llicorella,” and the significance on the wines, inclusive of this varietal carinyena should not be overlooked. Or taken for granted because the tightly wound, focused and intensity of ultra specific mineral feels are what drive the regional machine. A serious and giving wine from a promising vintage yet here in its infancy and surely structured to be three years away from optimum potential. Drink 2027-2032. Tasted May 2025.
93 points (2021) - John Szabo, MS
This is the first vintage of this wine from Priorat produced by Bodegas Puiggròs, made of pure carinyena (carignan) form the region's steep, slate vineyards, and aged in amphora I'm led to believe, though no details can be found on the winery website. It certainly smells like a terra cotta-aged wine with its wet concrete and clay aromas, alongside lavender and rosemary, wildly resinous; fruit is very much a side show in this exotic and original example. It enters fluidly and sleekly before dusty tannins kick up; acids are balanced. It's quite tight and linear overall despite 15% alcohol declared, a far cry from the broad, base note-heavy style more typical of the region. It's an utterly new paradigm for Priorat, at least in my experience - I'd like to spend more time with it to see how the story unfolds, and watch it over several years in the cellar. I keep coming back for more. Tasted May 2025.
91 points (2021) - Sara d'Amato
This carignan-based Priorat is full-bodied and warm but well-crafted with an undercurrent of minerality and lightly salty freshness. Showing some evolution in colour and fruit with ample natural spice and hints of iron. Drinking very well now with good depth of flavour and significant length. Tasted May 2025.
- Red Wine
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Château Laronde Desormes
Winemaker Claude Gaudin has fashioned some exceptional wines from petits châteaux located along the Garonne River, bordering the Haut-Médoc appellation. His philosophy is simple: the wine is made in the vineyard. Dense plantation naturally reduces the yield per vine, resulting in a more concentrated wine. Traditional vinification and just the right touch of new oak give structure and added dimensions of flavor and complexity.
- Red Wine
- Pinot Noir
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 2.00 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.00% alc./vol
About the Winery
Groupe Bellene
Led by Nicolas Potel in Beaune, Groupe Bellene is composed of the négociant arm Maison Roche de Bellene, the winery arm Domaine de Bellene, and a special back-vintage series under the Collection Bellenum label.
- Maison Roche de Bellene offers a complete range of wines, with an emphasis on individual terroirs from old vines of more than 40 years. All of the growers that Nicolas works with are either organic certified or sustainably farmed.
- Domaine de Bellene represents the wines that are produced and bottled from Nicolas Potel's private vineyard holdings.
- Collection Bellenum is a back vintage series that Nicolas Potel sourced from his friends in the region, offering a magnificent selection of bottled history. The wines have moved only twice in their lives, from the original cellar to Potel's and now to yours!
Nicolas Potel grew up at Volnay's Domaine Pousse d'Or, where his father worked. He trained abroad and returned home in 1996 to build a négociant business and started Maison Nicolas Potel, where he sourced grapes from good parcels, often working with the growers to improve the quality. By 2002, he was making 120 wines from 50 different appellations, and the rest is history!
Press Reviews
Wine Align - John Szabo, MS
93 points
From a high-density 1956 planting of pinot noir, aged in 20% new wood and the rest in used barrels, this is complex and perfumed Saint Romain, especially spicy and stemmy in a good way, adding an impression of freshness and counter-balancing the ripe red berry fruit. The palate is mid-weight, properly firm and structured, with high sapidity and excellent length, and well-integrated, dusty tannins that still need some time to settle in. In the context of the region, I have to say this is an excellent value red Burgundy. I'd cellar for another 2-3 years minimum before enjoying, or hold until the end of the decade without concern. Great complexity and depth. Tasted May 2022.
- Red Wine, White Wine
- Chenin Blanc, Cinsault, Syrah
- Sustainable
- Dry
- 750ml
About the Winery
Pearce Predhomme
Pearce Predhomme is a collaboration of like-minded individuals from around the globe. Founded with a mission to build and import wines from our favourite appellations while offering an unequaled value/quality ratio for the sommeliers & wine buyers in Ontario. This is a project between Toronto Sommelier and entrepreneur Will Predhomme and Ontario wine importer Nicholas Pearce. They have partnered with Radford Dale in South Africa and NorthWest Wine Co. in Oregon to create these special cuvées.
- Red Wine, White Wine
- Garganega, Marsanne, País, Roussanne, Viognier, Xinomavro
- Sustainable
- Dry
- 750ml
About the Winery
Azienda Agricola Tessari
The Tessari family have Soave in their blood. For three generations they have been extracting delectable wine from the well cared for vines of their Monteforte d’Alpone vineyards. With only a little over a hectare of Garganega grapes in the prestigious volcanic solis of Soave Classico, Antonio Tessari hand dug his cellar back in 1933 and started the legacy that continues today with his grandchildren: Germano, Antonio and Cornelia.
From vineyard to bottle, these three siblings oversee it all; with unwavering respect for tradition, quality and passion for the art of winemaking. The volcanic soils of the hillside are rich with basaltic rocks and clays, which guarantees the health of the plant and the promotes the mineral and floral aromas that are characteristic of the Garganega grape. Truly artisanal wine making at it’s best.
Garage Wine Co.
Garage Wine was literally started in a garage in 2001, by Etobicoke expat Derek Mossman and his wife Pilar Miranda. Since then, the dynamic duo handcraft wines from a series of individual vineyards located in the Maule and Itata Valleys, in the south of Santiago, Chile.
Garage Wine Co makes wines from a series of individual parcels, small lots / bottlings of 8-22 barrels that include a series of dry-farmed field-blends of Carignan, Garnacha, Monastrell, País, Cinsault and Cab Franc grown on pre-phylloxera rootstock with small farmers in the Maule and Itata. Each wine is from a 1-2 hectare parcel in a different place.
Over the years working in the community they have raised a veritable posse of vineyard hands whose skills are working the vineyards the old way / the traditional way– originario. The vineyards are on the old coastal range of mountains closer to the Pacific and have granitic soils with cracks for roots to get deep down into.
When GWCo. speaks of the provenance of these wines they mean more than just the geological terroir. Derek and Pilar think the farming practices that have evolved over generations have as much to do with the wines’ personalities as the soils. All the wines are made by hand with native yeasts in small tanks, punched down manually and pressed out in a small basket press. GWCo is still very much a DIY operation and we still tow much of the crop back to the winery in trailers behind trusty pickup trucks 2,000 kilos at a time.
- Red Wine
- Pinot Noir
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 2.00 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.00% alc./vol
About the Winery
Groupe Bellene
Led by Nicolas Potel in Beaune, Groupe Bellene is composed of the négociant arm Maison Roche de Bellene, the winery arm Domaine de Bellene, and a special back-vintage series under the Collection Bellenum label.
- Maison Roche de Bellene offers a complete range of wines, with an emphasis on individual terroirs from old vines of more than 40 years. All of the growers that Nicolas works with are either organic certified or sustainably farmed.
- Domaine de Bellene represents the wines that are produced and bottled from Nicolas Potel's private vineyard holdings.
- Collection Bellenum is a back vintage series that Nicolas Potel sourced from his friends in the region, offering a magnificent selection of bottled history. The wines have moved only twice in their lives, from the original cellar to Potel's and now to yours!
Nicolas Potel grew up at Volnay's Domaine Pousse d'Or, where his father worked. He trained abroad and returned home in 1996 to build a négociant business and started Maison Nicolas Potel, where he sourced grapes from good parcels, often working with the growers to improve the quality. By 2002, he was making 120 wines from 50 different appellations, and the rest is history!
Press Reviews
WineAlign
93 Points - Michael Godel
Les Quartiers De Nuits is yet another minuscule plot of a vineyard identified and chosen by Nicolas Potel, not quite one-third of a hectare, planted 96 years before this 2023 harvest. An early one for the most part, before the cold winds move in and ahead of Grand Cru neighbours like that of Echezeaux and Clos de Vougeot. There is a bit of mean intensity and streak in this singular, lieu-dit cru of a Bourgogne. The tannins are fierce, they lash upon the palate with severity and therefore the necessity to give time will become the requiem to success. Les Quartiers De Nuits is no shrinking violet and in fact the mix of botanical verdancy and bitters make up a formula which could never be solved in the first few years. The stuffing can’t be denied and the objective is perspicuous. Stay clear for a while. Drink 2028-2035.
- Red Wine
- Rotburger
- Natural, Sustainable
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 11% alc./vol
About the Winery
RR81
RR81 stands for 'Regional Road 81' - the road The Farm sits on, and a main artery through wine country. The RR81 approach to winemaking is simply fermented grapes with nothing added. One-off wines sourced from some of the best single vineyards in Niagara. These wines are made in the barn at The Farm with minimal intervention (just a few bins and an old basket press). The result equals some of the best, and most unique, wines coming out of Niagara.
- Red Wine
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 2.00 g/l
- Full Bodied
- 750ml
- 14.50% alc./vol
Press Reviews
The Wine Advocate
94+ Points - Luis Gutiérrez
The red 2022 Os Canivéis Tinto comes from a place that doesn't have enough ripeness for Port and therefore is classified as F. It's from a selection of small plots with soil that is in transition between schist and granite, planted with a field blend of Casculho, Cornifesto, Tinta Carvalha, Trincadeira Preta, Dozelinho Tinto, Tinta Aguiar, Mourisco, Alvarelhão, Aramón, Chancelar, Bastardo, Tinta Roriz, Mourisco de Semente, Moreto, Touriga Nacional, Malvasia Preta and Tinta Nevoeira. It fermented in lagar with 30% full clusters and matured in neutral barrels. It's pale, delicate and perfumed, with notes of wild flowers and herbs, and it has a stony sensation on the palate, with very fine, elegant tannins and great balance. It comes in at 12.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.65 and 4.8 grams of acidity. 2,100 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2024. He also makes a white from the same zone and with the same name.
- Red Wine
- Lagrein
- Sustainable
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
About the Winery
Kellerei Bozen - Cantine Bolzano
Cantina Bolzano, based in the town of Bolzano, traces its roots to two of Alto Adige’s most historic cooperatives: Santa Magdalena, est. 1930 and Cantina Gries, est. 1908. After deciding to merge in 2001, Cantina Bolzano was created. Bolzano is located in the middle of a valley basin surrounded by hilly vineyards that grow from 200 meters above sea level up to 1000. North and south meet in this valley, and the sun warms the stony soils with its pronounced diurnal temperatures, protecting the vines from the cold.
The average growers’ plots in Sudtirol averages only approx. 1 hectare, and the area, with its famed reputation and steep slopes, is an expensive area to farm. The member of Bolzano (approx. 300 in all) own many of the best vineyards throughout the region, including the Valle Isarco, and pool their resources to create top quality wines. And while no grower is certified organic, many practice organic viticulture and all of them adhere to natural practices in their vineyards. Most growers have lived on their farms with their families for generations. They protect their land and cultivate their vineyards as they have done for generations with total respect of the environment where they live.