Michael Stickings
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Reviews (246)
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Reviews
Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2010, Do Campo De Borja
Spain$19.95
There's complex and then there's all-over-the-place, there's luscious and then there's syrupy, and this forced, overdone Garnacha is the latter of both; full and rich, and nicely fragrant, with a ton of vanilla and oak, along with dark fruit, leather, winter spice, and, later, bretty earthiness, but lacking finesse and unity; very dry on the finish, but at times it's like drinking a gooey raspberry candy despite the presence of interesting possibilities, the whole less than the sum of its parts.
3.0 Stars
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Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Marlborough
Marlborough, New Zealand$19.05
Just like Whitehaven's Pinot Noir, this is pretty much exactly what a good, solid Sauvignon Blanc (particularly from New Zealand) is meant to be, sprightly and flavourful without crossing the line into artifice. There's the usual gooseberry and passionfruit, but also a lovely touch of pineapple as well as some herbal notes. Nothing terribly distinctive here, but it's a very fine example of the varietal.
3.0 Stars
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Santa Carolina Gran Reserva Petit Verdot 2011, Rapel Valley
Rapel Valley, Chile$15.95
There's a good reason Petit Verdot is principally used in blends: even in small proportions it can add a great deal to a wine's structure, depth, and complexity. But it can also be really good on its own, and this super value is indeed that, with a deep purple colour, rich aromas/flavours of blueberry, dark plum, bitter herbs, leather, mocha, and black pepper, youthfully firm tannins, and a thick mouthfeel, along with a sour cherry-raspberry edge that keeps things refreshing. It may not be a wine of profundity, but it certainly pushes the varietal's limits with personality and balance.
3.0 Stars
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Thirty Bench Riesling 2012, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$18.95
Ontario makes really good Riesling, and, allowing for terroir and vintage distinctions, this basic though undeniably refreshing and food-friendly Thirty Bench seems very much like an archetypal example, ticking off all the boxes it should. It has a nose of petrol, lemon-lime, minerals, and subtle gooseberry, but that's the austere crust that envelops a juicy core of pear and apple, and it's that mix of orchard and citrus fruit along with other characteristic Riesling elements, an impressive balancing act, that makes this so appealing, if not terribly intriguing beyond the basics.
3.0 Stars
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Brickyard Riesling 2012, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$13.95
This mediocre Riesling isn't terrible by any means, though it appears to be directed in the vicinity of the lowest common denominator, or at least to have been made with broad, unrefined commercial appeal in mind. It certainly goes for flavour rather than nuanced austerity, and the petrol, green apple, pear, and grapefruit notes are appealing if not harmonized. The problem is that the green apple tartness is just too tart, and it's this tartness that dominates the palette before the mix falls apart and a grainy dryness take over. Pretty good value for what it is, but that's about it.
3.0 Stars
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Abad Dom Bueno Crianza 2006, Do Bierzo
Galicia, Spain$15.95
Simply astonishing value for such an excellent wine; deep, rich, and luscious, with awesome aromas of olive, pine, cedar, and loads of purple fruit, and complexity in the mouth to back it all up; solid tannic structure that benefits from some aeration; serious but approachable, and overall a fantastic effort.
3.0 Stars
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Burning Kiln Strip Room Merlot/Cabernet Franc 2012, VQA Lake Erie North Shore
Ontario, Canada$24.95
Fascinating nose on this medium-bodied appassimento, with intermingling notes of balsamic vinegar, butter cream, dark (plum) and dried fruit (fig and raisin); quite hot and velvety in the mouth, with tobacco and cinnamon emerging, though a bit too sweet and a bit too drying on the decent finish, given its youthfulness; overall another interesting and distinctive offering from an excellent producer in Ontario's emerging South Coast region.
3.0 Stars
(0)V
Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir 2012
California, Usa$26.95
A distinctively California Pinot, which is to say, particularly given the presence of Santa Barbara and Monterey grapes alongside Sonoma, a thick and rich Pinot that is something of a departure from most other (earthy, more frugal) Pinots; strong smoky and spicy notes from the nose through the lingering finish, but some excellent red fruit emerges as well, particularly cherry, strawberry, and raspberry; certainly on the sweet side, with chocolate coming through amidst the fruit, but very pleasant and layered with enough complexity to avoid seeming monolithic.
3.0 Stars
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Château Trillol Grenache Syrah 2008, Corbieres
Languedoc, France$19.95
This Grenache-Syrah blend opens with the bursting aroma of sweet blackcurrant, backed up by emerging earth and spice notes, and in a quite enjoyable way it's like drinking a Ribena with a dash of black pepper. The problems, though, are twofold: first, it's a bit too juicy for its own good, the soft tannins not providing enough overall structure at this point in its maturity; second, the funky, bretty notes assume an increasing role and end up being a tad too prevalent. But the complexity is there, the fruitiness is certainly compelling, and, yes, Ribena is quite tasty.
3.0 Stars
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Honoro Vera Garnacha 2013
Aragón, Spain$15.95
This could be really good if it weren't for the oak. So much that it seemed like a possibly flawed bottle, what with abounding aromas and flavours of cork and new wood, and mustiness. There's real Garnacha freshness here, though, with blackberry, raspberry, and cherry riding a wave of tangy acidity, rich but cleansing, backed by light vanilla and vague herbal and spicy notes. But the woody oak is just too much, all in all, and by the second day the fruit thins out, leaving a bit more pepper on the palate, the flavours shorten, and a certain funkiness takes over both the aroma and the finish.
3.0 Stars
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