14 products
14 products
- White Wine
- Garganega
- Organic, Vegan-Friendly, Volcanic
- Light Bodied
- 750ml
- 12.5% alc./vol
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.
Press Reviews
Wine Align
90 points - Michael Godel
It began with Antonio, then on to Bianca and Aldo before the current generation of Cornelia, Antonio and Germano took over this singular Soave project. Grisela may clock in south of $20 but it is in fact a single-vineyard garganega off of near 45 year-old vines in the area of Brognoligo di Monteforte. An obviously easy, peachy, amenable and gift of a harvest Soave that followed a smooth sailing season with fruit, minerals, elements and a liquidity of structure that just keeps on giving. This is winemaking as an extension of farming in the finest sense of education and learning 101. Drink 2020-2024. Tasted December 2020.
- Red Wine
- Pinot Noir
- Sustainable, Volcanic
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.8% alc./vol
About the Winery
Pearce Family Wines
In the early 2000's Nicholas Pearce was exposed to the garagiste movement in Bordeaux and was particularly inspired by négociants like Jean Luc Thunevin (Saint Emilion), James Sichel (Margaux) and Nicolas Potel (Beaune) from Burgundy.
After returning home to Ontario and starting his own wine company, he has had a hand in making 10+ wines in two hemispheres, 3 countries and 5 different appellations since the 2013 vintage.
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.
- White Wine
- Pinot Gris
- Sustainable, Volcanic
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13% alc./vol
About the Winery
Pearce Family Wines
In the early 2000's Nicholas Pearce was exposed to the garagiste movement in Bordeaux and was particularly inspired by négociants like Jean Luc Thunevin (Saint Emilion), James Sichel (Margaux) and Nicolas Potel (Beaune) from Burgundy.
After returning home to Ontario and starting his own wine company, he has had a hand in making 10+ wines in two hemispheres, 3 countries and 5 different appellations since the 2013 vintage.
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
- Listán Negro
- Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly, Volcanic
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Viñátigo
Juan Jesús is a proud native of Tenerife and the fourth generation of growers. During the thirty years that he's overseen Bodegas Viñátigo, he has considerably increased its holdings, planting varieties that he and his team recuperated from near extinction.
Driven by passion and love for his homeland, Juan decided to revive and work to save the native grape varieties that were brought to the Canary Islands by the conquers back in the 15th century and that had survived on the islands for centuries. He is a hero of contemporary Canarian viticulture. The wealth of knowledge that his work has created has helped underpin the significant expansion of wine styles that are now available throughout the archipelago, and his wines have achieved a calibre of class that many doubted the Canaries would ever produce again. (The Epic Wines of the Canary Islands, written by Santo Bains).
Press Reviews
Wine Align
91 points - David Lawrason
From pre-phylloxera vines grown at high altitude in volcanic soils, this is a mid-weight, quite smooth red with a generous nose that reminded me of smoke and tar, with wild chokecherry, pomegranate fruit and herbs. Flavours are a bit unusual and sour-edged yet the texture and tension are smooth and appealing. Tannins are quite mild; the length is excellent. Tasted December 2020.
91 points - Michael Godel
The volcanic midlands of Tenerife’s northwest section is THE place on the Canary Islands for growing and producing the highest quality of listán negro. The fourth and fifth generations of Juan Jesús’ family are the custodians of these pre-phylloxera vines at 500-1000m and the wines they gift. Just a kiss of oak does little to adulterate the precocious sentimentality and unknowable delight for a wine that you warm up to without knowing how or why. By now and with the 2019 vintage this unique red has come into its own at a perfect knife’s edge volatility and discreet if sumptuous behaviour. A must try and twice, each year for the next three to six. Drink 2020-2025. Tasted December 2020.
- Red Wine
- Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
- Sustainable, Volcanic
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 3 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 14.50% alc./vol
About the Winery
Azienda Agricola Tornatore
Out of a Sicilian family heritage that traces back to the 17th century, the Tornatore’s Mount Etna wine ventures began in 1865. Today the family’s operations are headed by Giuseppe Tornatore, a businessman whose expertise led to the acquisition of some of the region’s finest north-facing vineyards in the early 2000’s. That heritage and the Tornatore’s profound respect and understanding of the land is showcased in wines that capture the essence of Etna, deftly balancing concentrated flavors, complexity, freshness and refinement.
The company lies in the northern side of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. The soils have volcanic origin and were created through the disintegration of lava, ash and stones from previous volcanic eruptions. The climate on the northern side of the Etna is characterized by mild temperatures, and more rain fall reflecting the influence of the Volcano. The combination of soil, climate and the skill of the winemakers, have made the northern slope of Etna an ideal area for the production of high-quality wines. “Our vineyards and our winery are only a few kilometers from our family home. Our entire family is rooted there. We have the greatest respect for this region, and we believe we have a responsibility to be stewards of Etna and to reflect its distinct character in our wines.” - Giuseppe Tornatore
Press Reviews
Wine Enthusiast
95 points
Aromas of flint, tobacco, tar and carob mingle with whiffs of dried rose, cherry marinated in spirits and camphor in this full-bodied red. The smooth, delicious palate delivers crushed raspberry, blackberry, grilled herb, cinnamon and sandalwood alongside polished tannins. With delicious fruit and weightless elegance, the alcohol content is barely noticeable.
James Suckling
92 Points
I love the intensity here with glazed cherries, dried rose petals and spice box. Full-bodied with ripe and succulent tannins and a fruit-driven finish. Drink now.
Wine Align
93 Points - Sara d'Amato
An effortlessly drinkable red, dynamic and complex with a wealth of botanical elements featured on the nose and palate. Spicy and indicative nerello mascalese grown in volcanic terroir. Notes of red and black cherry, rosebud, laurel, black pepper, ginger, juniper and orange zest. Compelling, complex and with great length. Ready-to-drink. Recommended. Tasted March 2021.
- Red Wine
- Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
- Sustainable, Volcanic
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 3 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 14.50% alc./vol
About the Winery
Azienda Agricola Tornatore
Out of a Sicilian family heritage that traces back to the 17th century, the Tornatore’s Mount Etna wine ventures began in 1865. Today the family’s operations are headed by Giuseppe Tornatore, a businessman whose expertise led to the acquisition of some of the region’s finest north-facing vineyards in the early 2000’s. That heritage and the Tornatore’s profound respect and understanding of the land is showcased in wines that capture the essence of Etna, deftly balancing concentrated flavors, complexity, freshness and refinement.
The company lies in the northern side of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. The soils have volcanic origin and were created through the disintegration of lava, ash and stones from previous volcanic eruptions. The climate on the northern side of the Etna is characterized by mild temperatures, and more rain fall reflecting the influence of the Volcano. The combination of soil, climate and the skill of the winemakers, have made the northern slope of Etna an ideal area for the production of high-quality wines. “Our vineyards and our winery are only a few kilometers from our family home. Our entire family is rooted there. We have the greatest respect for this region, and we believe we have a responsibility to be stewards of Etna and to reflect its distinct character in our wines.” - Giuseppe Tornatore
Press Reviews
Wine Enthusiast
95 points - Kerin O'Keefe
A blend of predominantly Nerello Mascalese and a small percentage of Nerello Cappuccio, this fragrant red opens with enticing scents of wild red berry, underbrush, blue flowers, Mediterranean scrub and a whiff of warm spices. The taut, polished palate boasts elegance and tension, delivering raspberry compote, strawberry, star anise and blood orange before a mineral, almost salty finish. Fine-grained tannins and bright acidity provide finesse and support. Drink date: 2021-2028.
James Suckling
95 points
Wow. So perfumed and beautiful. Takes your breath away with rose- petal, citrus, violet and lilac aromas. Full-bodied with super integrated tannins that are firm and polished. Ultra-long finish. A wine for the future. Better in 2021.
Vinous
93+ points
Bright red-burry. Intensely mineral and floral on the nose and in the mouth, with blueberry and strawberry notes slightly dominated by the stony presence. A seamless wine with lively harmonious acidity theat finishes with a penetrating quality and intensely saline.
- White Wine
- Listán Blanco
- Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly, Volcanic
- Dry
- Light Bodied
- 750ml
- 12.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Viñátigo
Juan Jesús is a proud native of Tenerife and the fourth generation of growers. During the thirty years that he's overseen Bodegas Viñátigo, he has considerably increased its holdings, planting varieties that he and his team recuperated from near extinction.
Driven by passion and love for his homeland, Juan decided to revive and work to save the native grape varieties that were brought to the Canary Islands by the conquers back in the 15th century and that had survived on the islands for centuries. He is a hero of contemporary Canarian viticulture. The wealth of knowledge that his work has created has helped underpin the significant expansion of wine styles that are now available throughout the archipelago, and his wines have achieved a calibre of class that many doubted the Canaries would ever produce again. (The Epic Wines of the Canary Islands, written by Santo Bains).
Press Reviews
Wine Align
93 points - David Lawrason
Here's a bracing yet rich wine from the volcanic Canary Islands. You can smell and taste the combo of salts and mineral here, a very different experience but so much more enjoyable than poorly sulphured wines. There is a beam of tension and character that fits and carries what is otherwise a quite rich wine. There is something like kiwi on the nose as well, plus fresh herbs/evergreen. It is medium weight, fleshy yet firm and intense with excellent length. Tasted January 2021.
92 points - Michael Godel
A reminder of the story about listán blanco, a important grape variety brought to the Canary Islands in the 18th century by Andalusian conquerers. Suited so ideally to volcanic terroir and at 500m the verticality of “parrales” training is all about adaptation to braes over gullies. Always a white wine of confluent, inferential and influential aromatic meets mineral hyperbole. The 2020 takes over just where 2019 left off (literally speaking because I tasted the last one no less than six weeks ago). So fresh like a bite from an icicle cracker (were there such a thing) and like a mouthful of basil chiffonade. Actually, the presence of the sweet Genovese herb is uncanny but this special white wine takes it so much further. Can you imagine a mouthful of basaltic terroir. Of course you can. That and the label’s Pie Franco reference, “ungrafted rootstock often employed to designate wines made from ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines.” Mix that with volcanic terroir and fantasize about the rest. Drink 2021-2025. Tasted January 2021.
91 points - John Szabo, MS
2020 marks a terrific vintage for Viñátigo's own-rooted listán blanco, vinified and aged in stainless, from the north side of Tenerife. There's a marked reductive, sulfhydric character in the best sense, where grapefruit meets smoke, onion skin meets lemon zest. The palate is distinctly saline, either from the volcanic soils, or the salt-laden Alisios winds from the North Atlantic, or both. Whatever the case, this is compelling, dense and quite concentrated white wine, with marked freshness and individual character. Lovely stuff. Tasted January 2021.
- Red Wine
- Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese
- Sustainable, Volcanic
- Dry
- Residual Sugar: 2 g/l
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Azienda Agricola Tornatore
Out of a Sicilian family heritage that traces back to the 17th century, the Tornatore’s Mount Etna wine ventures began in 1865. Today the family’s operations are headed by Giuseppe Tornatore, a businessman whose expertise led to the acquisition of some of the region’s finest north-facing vineyards in the early 2000’s. That heritage and the Tornatore’s profound respect and understanding of the land is showcased in wines that capture the essence of Etna, deftly balancing concentrated flavors, complexity, freshness and refinement.
The company lies in the northern side of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. The soils have volcanic origin and were created through the disintegration of lava, ash and stones from previous volcanic eruptions. The climate on the northern side of the Etna is characterized by mild temperatures, and more rain fall reflecting the influence of the Volcano. The combination of soil, climate and the skill of the winemakers, have made the northern slope of Etna an ideal area for the production of high-quality wines. “Our vineyards and our winery are only a few kilometers from our family home. Our entire family is rooted there. We have the greatest respect for this region, and we believe we have a responsibility to be stewards of Etna and to reflect its distinct character in our wines.” - Giuseppe Tornatore
Press Reviews
Wine Enthusiast
96 points
Aromas of wild red berries, violet, Mediterranean herbs and eucalyptus mingle together with exotic spice and smoky graphite on this gorgeous, fragrant red, made with 95% Nerello Mascalese and 5% Nerello Cappuccio. The elegant palate has great tension and finesse, doling out raspberry compote, ripe blackberry, licorice and a hint of almond before an orange zest finish. It's superbly balanced, with taut, silky tannins and fresh acidity. Drink through 2029.
Vinous
93 Points
Luminous red-ruby. Saline red berries and herbs on the perfumed nose and mouth are complemented by violet and broom. A real big, powerful mouthful of red wine but rather refined too, actually showcasing very good balance and a suave touch.
- Orange Wine
- Chardonnay
- Natural, Organic, Vegan-Friendly, Volcanic
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 500ml
- 12.5% alc./vol
About the Winery
Scribe Winery
Scribe Winery in Sonoma, California, produces vibrant, terroir-driven wines.The winery–founded in 2007 on a property that pioneered pre-prohibition Sonoma Valley winemaking–is managed by fourth-generation California farmers and brothers, Andrew and Adam Mariani. Andrew and Adam believe that the best wines are a result of a healthy relationship between man and nature, and that a vineyard managed in harmony with the greater ecosystem results in more site-specific wines that represent a sense of time and place. When vinified with non-interventionist methods, the result is a distinct wine that faithfully reflects what the vineyard naturally expresses.
- Red Wine
- Gamay
- Biodynamic, Sustainable, Vegan-Friendly, Volcanic
- Dry
- Medium Bodied
- 750ml
- 13% alc./vol
About the Winery
Stéphane Aviron
Stéphane Aviron can be considered a pioneer in his approach to winemaking in Beaujolais, however he would just tell you that he’s simply returning to the traditional practices that have always made fantastic Gamay wines. Sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques. He focuses on the Beaujolais village crus, all but forgotten gems of vineyards when the nouveau craze took over, which are the best sites for unique, expressive and terroir driven wines. All of the fruit is sourced from old vines (40+ years), so seeing Vieilles Vignes on the label is a rite of passage, not a privilege. Authenticity and a distinctly Beaujolais style of winemaking is what sets Stéphane apart from the rest.
Press Reviews
Wine Align
92 points - David Lawrason
The northernmost cru of Beaujolais sits on soils that cross between granite and limestone, so I always find St. Amour more lifted, fragrant and elegant. Lovely fragrance here with lilac, cherry/cranberry, fine white pepper and some minerality. It is so refined and elegant across the palate, with fine zipper-like seam of tannin. The length focus and length are excellent. Tasted March 2021.
92 points - Michael Godel
The third of six old vines wines in the Aviron Cru Beaujolais series. Julienas is northerly but the smallest cru of Saint-Amour sits the furthest north and most of the vines are in the Saône et Loire Department. Always a romantic notion both in nomenclature and by style, a fresh, floral and piqued gamay, here open for early business. Crunchy dark red fruit, a bit liquid chalky and coming through with the sort of red citrus that imagines lingonberry and pomegranate. Should work really well with a stack of pancakes next Valentine’s Day. Drink 2021-2024. Tasted March 2021.
91 points - Sara d'Amato
Fleshy, plummy and lightly peppery with stylishly reductive character. More powerful than expected with excellent depth of flavour. Well-structured although very drinkable at present. Seductive and persistent. Tasted March 2021.
90 points - John Szabo
Sweet candied red fruit, leafy-stemmy notes, and fresh oyster liquor put this Beaujolais firmly in the stony-granite side of the spectrum for the region. The texture is equally dusty-gritty, supported by incisive acids, while length and depth are very good, finishing with a vague a sensation of sweetness from ripe fruit. Classic, firm and food-friendly red. Drink with a light chill, after 2022. Tasted March 2021.