Michael Stickings
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Reviews (246)
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Reviews
Château Des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Gamay Noir Droit 2012, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$16.95
This is quite rustic, and quite rough, and hardly elegant, but also distinctly Niagara, this wonderful Gamay clone, so much fuller and richer than normal Gamay. It has expressive and alluring aromas of raspberry, blackberry, cherry, black pepper, herbs, and glycerin. Unoaked, the grape is on full display, robust on the palate with earthy and spicy notes complemented by strawberry and cran-cherry tartness. It doesn't all hold together, and the rough rusticity is just too much, but there's ample complexity and intrigue. This is just the sort of red that ought to be defining Ontario wine.
4.0 Stars
Vineland Estates Elevation St. Urban Vineyard Riesling 2014, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$19.95
Having last had the '12, with similar impressions, I continue think this is vastly overrated, if still quite good for what it is. The '14 could certainly use some aging, but there just isn't the balance, even anything close to it, one finds in great Riesling (not least in Mosels in and around this price range). I didn't get quite as much mineral this time, but the rest is there, especially pear, peach, lemon, and honey, while the texture is unctuous and the finish is long. Yes, there's a lot to like here, but overall it still falls short, and I still don't get the much-ballyhooed appeal.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Studert Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese Riesling 2009, Prädikatswein
Mosel, Germany$21.95
What an incredible late-harvest Mosel Riesling. The nose is elegant and enticing, golden delicious apple, pear, lemon, slate, and petrol, delicate but suggesting so much more to come. And come it does, a luscious wave of taste riding on a silky, sexy texture, orchard/stone fruit, white pepper, loads of mineral, swimming in unctuous honey. But for all that, nothing is ever out of place, nothing is ever too much. The sweetness and tartness are balanced, the crisp acidity keeping the fruit in check and allowing the complexity to shine, with room for further development. In short, pure harmony.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
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
(0)V
L'expression De Margaux 2010, Ac Margaux
Bordeaux, France$33.95
This "grand vin" from Ulysse Cazabonne (Château Rauzan-Ségla?) isn't a great wine, thinning out and turning bitter, and lacking profundity, but as an introduction to Margaux that works well in its own right? Sure. The nose is just gorgeous, with an exceptional mix of blackberry and cedar supported by cassis, raspberry, graphite, and light pepper spice. The dark fruit is joined by sour currant on the palate, the overall richness cut by tangy acidity. There's undeniable elegance here, the structure of excellence, and this accessible Margaux certainly points to bigger and better things.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
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
(0)V
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
(0)V
13th Street Cuvee Rosé Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$32.95
Something of a disappointment from what is generally one of Niagara's best producers of sparkling wine, this NV rosé has appealing, if muted, strawberry, raspberry, and tart lemon-lime flavours, along with a bit of nuttiness, but overall it just comes across as simultaneously bland and rough. It's also quite dry, and the restraint is fine, but this unfortunately lacks both elegance and punch, and it's not helped by the bitterness that emerges on the finish.
3.5 Stars
(1000+)E
Château Pech Redon L'épervier 2010, Ac Côteaux Du Languedoc, La Clape
Languedoc, France$24.95
There's decent value here, but basically this is yet another funky offering from La Clape, and while the initial barnyard/leather/earth notes recede in prominence as the fruit emerges, it never quite escapes that quagmire. The key is the black pepper, which after the funk is the defining note, and it works really well in conjunction with the cranberry, currant, cherry, and blackberry elements, as well as with the spicy/herbal notes that linger in the background. Certainly this deserves applause for complexity, but the funk and the bitter, unpleasant finish are just too distracting to ignore.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Burning Kiln Stick Shaker Savagnin 2012, VQA Ontario
Ontario, Canada$24.95
Quite a remarkable and intriguing wine, if not terribly food-friendly; restrained Gewurz aromas, but more caramel than fruit, with some Riesling as well; rich, deep taste of caramel pear and apple; full, think mouthfeel and alcohol heat; best for slow sipping or dessert.
3.5 Stars
(0)V