Michael Stickings

Les Halos De Jupiter Costières De Nîmes 2012, Ac

A fabulous value from Costières de Nîmes, an earthy/savoury Grenache blend with predominant notes of smoked/roasted meat (even a whiff of bacon) and local herbs, and so very much a product of the region. The fruit is a bit suppressed, but there's fig and other darker fruit in there, as well as raspberry, with added complexity, and warmth, coming from cinnamon and pepper. Unfortunately, it ends fairly quickly on the palette, the flavours just evaporating, replaced with a mild astringency, but this is still a very absorbing wine that points to what Grenache can achieve in this part of the world.

Palacios Remondo La Montesa 2011, Doca Rioja

Dominio Dos Tares Estay Prieto Picudo 2011, Vino De La Tierra De Castilla Y León

What this wonderful Prieto Picudo lacks in complexity and elegance it more than makes for in richness, lushness, and intensity of flavour. Big and bold but not overwhelming, with a nice balance of fruit and wood, it has notes of dark cherry, cassis, sweet oak, vanilla, black pepper, baking spice, and leather, with some refreshing tartness on the finish. Unlike some other big Spanish reds, like Garnachas from the warmer south, this doesn't seem at all fake and confected, and while it's easy to see why this uncommon varietal is often used in blends, this effort proves it can stand on its own.

Conde De Valdemar Reserva 2007, Doca Rioja

Right upon opening, this is pure, well-matured (but not too mature) Rioja, with a lovely balance of fresh fruit and savoury spice featuring notes of ripe blueberry and blackberry, tangy cherry, sweet brown baking spice, new and aged leather, and meaty barnyard. It's mostly Tempranillo (90%), with the rest Mazuelo/Carignan and Graciano. There isn't all that much fruit left, and the savouriness takes over on the palate, but everything is nicely integrated at this point in its prime drinking window (if on the late side), the acidity balancing the ripeness through the dry, mildly tannic finish.

Jim Barry The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Coonawarra, South Australia

The 2013 vintage of this fabulous wine lacks, at least in its youth, the chiseled precision and remarkable balance of the '10, the last vintage I tasted. The '13 is fleshier, more muddled, but really no less appealing. Like the '10, it gets better once it finds itself after a day or so, and it also has that graphite-currant duality, but it's iron/rust that balances the riper fruit. The savoury complexity isn't quite there, but the fruit is rich and profound, cassis, raspberry, and plum, and there's spice, leather, and that refreshing Aussie Cab mintiness as well, if less prominent. Great wine.

Celeste Crianza 2004, Do Ribera Del Duero

This was like unlocking an attic -- stale, musty, and dusty, with old wood and leather expressing decay. But then the fruit exploded, a vibrant arrangement of blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry, plum, and prune, with sweet vanilla, oak, Italian herbs, and white pepper coming later. On the palate, that richness gave way to some remarkable acidity, with cherry and raspberry tartness. This bottle was a couple of years past its prime, yet it showed a lot of life, the tannic structure still firmly in place. Not profound, but still solid even after all these years.

Michel Torino Don David Malbec Reserva 2012

April 2015 addendum: Very fresh at the outset, with vibrant dark berries and loads of vanilla, before settling into a flat staleness mid-palate. Quite acidic, with gritty tannins. Decent, and still a good value, but nothing great.

Review from August 2014: Basic Malbec, but still quite enjoyable; medium- to full-bodied with a deep purple, almost black colour, with murky aromas of violet, cassis, and other purple and black fruit, propelled by hefty oakiness; somewhat nondescript beyond the basics, lacking definition and distinction, but solid given its youth and certainly good value overall.

Corino Dolcetto D'alba 2013, Doc

Fresh and tangy yet also quite tannic, as expected, this interesting young Dolcetto opens with notes of ash and tobacco before settling in with dark red and purple fruit like plum and raspberry, along with earth and licorice, redcurrant, and a curious dairy/lactic touch accenting the background and adding to the overall complexity. This is a very acidic wine, with a perception of sweetness amidst the dryness and bitterness emerging on the finish, but the length is excellent and the elements are admirably balanced even if the acidity can be a bit much.

Tenuta Del Portale Starsa 2012, Igt Basilicata

This is simply delicious, delivering everything you could ever want from the Aglianico grape, showcased on its own. It's rough and rustic but also immensely complex, maintaining a delicate balance of dried (prune, raisin) and tart (cranberry, raspberry, pomegranate) fruit, complemented with leather, black pepper, and funky earthy-meaty notes reminiscent of French Syrah, as well as a hint of smokiness. It softens after a day, the fruit rounder, plum and dark ripe cherry, but the depth remains. Very nicely done and a fabulous value, if just lacking the length and profundity for a 90.

Oro De Castilla Verdejo 2014, Do Rueda

A fabulous value, this delicious Verdejo comes across initially like a mild (but still substantial) Sauvignon Blanc, that is, without the prickly sharpness of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, given its tropical, summery aromas of passion fruit, nettle, and fresh green herbs. But there is nice depth and complexity too. The cool, clean, crisp freshness (stainless steel, not oak) is accented with a slight buttery note that adds richness (balancing the acidity), while pear/apple and apricot/peach notes, along with a touch of grapefruit pith on the finish, add extensive fruit flavour. Nicely done.