Michael Stickings
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Reviews (246)
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Reviews
Grand Vin De Glenelly Red 2009, Wo Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch, South Africa$19.95
As much as a blend of French varietals, this is a tightrope blend of two distinct French styles -- elegant, Cab-based Bordeaux meeting rustic, Syrah-based Midi -- and in that blend it achieves remarkable balance and complexity. Cassis, blackberry, raspberry, tobacco, graphite, smoke, black pepper, roast meat, the notes are many, and each sip brings new rewards, supported by impressive structure and enlivening acidity, the intensity building throughout. Depth and length are impressive too, with loads of potential development even six years on. It surpasses even the impressive sum of its parts.
4.0 Stars
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Markus Molitor Haus Klosterberg Riesling 2013, Qualitätswein
Mosel, Germany$20.95
An outstanding food wine, this is a dry, crisp, restrained, even somewhat severe Riesling heavy on the lemon-lime, with prominent slate and crushed rock minerality and a touch of invigorating spritz. There's more lurking in the background -- notably peach-apricot, apple, and herbs, a hint of mango, some (oxidized?) nuttiness that comes later -- but the emphasis is that racy acidity, so refreshing, so cleansing, through a prolonged finish. There could be more fruit, richer fruit, sweeter fruit, for the sake of both balance and depth, but this is very fine, with pinpoint accuracy, nonetheless.
4.0 Stars
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Orestiadi Ludovico 2008, Igt Rosso Sicilia
Sicily, Italy$19.95
The 10% Cab in this blend uplifts the 90% Nero d'Avola, providing a delicious core of juicy cassis. There's also abundant blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, cinnamon, finely-ground black pepper, earth, iron, and herbs, very much of a southern Italian idiom but thankfully without much wood. The tannins have obviously softened considerably, but there's still remarkable acidity for a wine of this age, and the cran-cherry tartness is actually quite sharp. A very good "Super Sicilian," even if the elements don't quite hold together and the elegant core is surrounded by a rough, murky exterior.
4.0 Stars
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Domaine De Bila Haut Occultum Lapidem 2011, Ac Côtes De Roussillon Villages Latour De France
Languedoc, France$25.95
With its earthy core of rocks, minerals, and herbs, this Syrah-Grenache-Carignan blend certainly reflects its Roussillon terroir. It's a bit rough and rustic, but there's a great deal of care underlying the food-friendly elegance. The problem is that you keep waiting for the dark fruit, which builds on the nose, to burst onto the palette, and it never really does, and so despite intriguing notes of cherry, raspberry, pine, licorice, leather, and graphite, the overall flavour is muted and flat. That said, if given enough time (and it needs a lot of it to open up), it has much to recommend it.
4.0 Stars
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Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra 2013
Australia$39.95
Very young and certainly not near its peak, this famed Cab opens with a rush of plump dark fruit but then closes quickly, only hinting at its potential with lively acidity and chalky tannins indicating sound, age-worthy structure. But it's impressive now with complex, elegant, restrained notes of cassis, blackberry, cherry, mint, red licorice, redcurrant, herbs, crushed rock, minerals, and faint wood smoke -- the cassis highlighting the varietal, the mint/minerals the place -- without any flabbiness and with only minimal wood influence. With time, it could take a significant upward leap.
4.0 Stars
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Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling 2012, VQA Niagara Escarpment
Ontario, Canada$0.00
This is quite good, perhaps very good for what it is, but it's drastically overrated. I prefer Riesling that's dry and austere. And this is not that. Off-dry, it has loads of fruit appeal, so much so that it comes across as a fruit salad of a wine, with pronounced notes of apple, pear, stone fruit, and tart lemon. And it has rich, thick, mead-like qualities, including oodles of sweet honey, along with a solid mineral streak and a long finish. But despite all that, or because of it, it lacks refinement and elegance. Maybe it all comes together as it ages, but right now it's a package of excess.
4.0 Stars
Terredora Di Paolo Loggia Della Serra Greco Di Tufo 2014, Docg
Campania, Italy$19.95
Crisp and pure, this Greco offers harmonious aromas of tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, sweet apple, rich stone fruit, spicy white pepper, savoury raw nuts, and, interestingly, creamy white chocolate. These notes are held together on the palate by rocky minerality, the building richness balanced by zesty citrus acidity and subtle bitterness on the finish, time bringing rounder apple notes as well as a touch of concluding salinity, the nice length bringing a lovely aftertaste that enticingly pulls the elements back together. Complex but overly subdued, it's an 89 with upside to the 90-91 range.
4.0 Stars
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Matetic Corralillo Syrah 2011, San Antonio Valley
San Antonio Valley, Chile$23.95
There isn't really a "wow" factor here, and it opens to a slight rubber hit, but this luscious Chilean Syrah grows and grows on you until you realize it's just a gorgeous "comfort" wine with loads of appeal; deep purple, it wafts intoxicating notes of rich, dark fruit, especially blackcurrant, along with spice and herb elements, and in the mouth there's tangy red fruit, licorice, and mocha, and each encounter seems to bring a different star to the fore, requesting contemplation without being brooding; still quite young, but the tannins are nicely integrated, and the finish is exceptional.
4.0 Stars
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Tarima Hill Monastrell 2011, Old Vines, Do Alicante
Spain$19.95
This expression of Monastrell is far more fresh and vibrant than the thick, heavy bottle would suggest (and not as hot as the 15% alc. would suggest), with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, and violet leading the way, along with redcurrant, minerals, and licorice. There's a lot of oak as well, but it's hardly overbearing, and indeed the vanilla and pepper spice bond nicely with the rich fruit and floral notes on top of an underlying earthiness. Soft and pillowy, with pleasantly powdery tannins, this is yet another superb value from yet another less-heralded south-eastern Spanish appellation.
3.5 Stars
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Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2013, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$23.95
This is a well put together and quite vivacious Niagara Riesling. It offers aromas of green apple, pear, pineapple, slate, and wet stone, but it's all about the zippy acidity after that, lemon tartness and lingering minerality. It's mostly on the drier and less juicy side of things, but the flavours hollow out mid-palate, followed by bitterness, and there isn't nearly enough non-citrus fruit to carry it. It's good to go now, particularly with food, but it could use a bit of aging to calm the acidity down and bring greater flavour depth and balance overall.
3.5 Stars
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