THE LECCIO D’ORO 2021 AWARDS

CONSORZIO BRUNELLO: THE LECCIO D’ORO 2021 AWARDS

(Montalcino – Siena, 6th March 2021). The Leccio d’Oro continues its world tour. The prize, awarded by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, is conferred to Italian and international restaurants and wine shops with a wine list that is highly representative of wines expressing the viticulture of Tuscan villages, starting from Brunello. A journey of nearly 36 thousand kilometres led this 29th edition to reveal, today, the winners in the two categories on occasion of the first wine tasting day of the Benvenuto Brunello Off event. While for the Italian section the Leccio d’Oro 2021 broke its journey at the historical Trattoria Osenna in San Quirico d’Orcia, boasting 357 Brunello labels in its cellar, the international podium saw an all-North American ex aequo shared by the restaurants Il Gattopardo in New York and Don Alfonso in Toronto. Located in the Rockefeller Townhouses, at 13-15 West 54th Street, Il Gattopardo owes its name to the homonymous movie directed by Luchino Visconti and offers more than 30 carefully selected Brunello labels. From the USA, the journey moved on to Canada, where the international Leccio d’Oro was bestowed on Don Alfonso 1890 (Toronto), to date the only second-time winner in the history of the award granted by the Consortium. Property of the Iaccarino family and younger sibling of the starred restaurant in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, in 2019 the Canadian Don Alfonso was named the second-best Italian restaurant in the world by 50 Top Italy and was also recognised with the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. Today, its wine list ranges from Rosso di Montalcino to Brunello.

The Leccio d’Oro 2021 for the Italian wine store category holds a special significance. Indeed, the award was conferred to La Fenice in L’Aquila, destroyed by the 2009 earthquake and reopened in 2014. The few bottles saved from destruction and now marked “earthquake resistant” are on display on the shelves. The plaque attesting to the prize by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino was also awarded to Vino italiano in Boston, a wine store entirely dedicated to Italian wine and a point of reference for Bostonian wine lovers.

As regards the special Leccio d’Oro 2021 awards, Terra di Piero in Arezzo won the prize dedicated to ‘Rosso di Montalcino’, whereas the ‘Brunello Lovers’ was granted to Giglio, a Florentine trattoria in Bangkok, and to Two Rocks Wine Company in Bermuda.