Michael Stickings

Ca' Momi Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Napa Valley

Heavy on the cassis, but little else of note beyond that; more interesting the second day, with petrol/tobacco notes more prominent; fairly enjoyable, but hardly complex.

Imako Vino Majestic Temjanika 2013, Republic Of Macedonia

Temjanika is the Macedonian version of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, and this decent, if ultimately simple and shallow, offering has decided Muscat elements, mixed with hints of Gewürztraminer and other sweeter whites. It presents interesting peach-apricot, lychee, and gooseberry notes, but what really stands out is the pronounced elderflower, which is certainly appealing. But there's just no length at all, the flavours evaporating within a few seconds, and all that's left is a lingering bitterness. It's light and refreshing, to be sure, but there's just not much to it.

Folonari Valpolicella 2013, Veneto

This is surprisingly not bad, seemingly thin at first but actually quite lively with tart cherry, raspberry, and cranberry on top of leather, black pepper, and herbs, a touch of meatiness on the nose, quite dry but with nice length, the sort of uncomplicated food-friendly wine that Italy does so well. It's hardly a great wine, not even close, but it's a pleasure to drink a wine that doesn't try to be more than it is, that works well within its limits, and that, despite those limits, surprises with complexity and depth beyond the norm.

Tabalí Reserva Chardonnay 2012

Clos Les Montys Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Sur Lie 2013, Ac

This basic Muscadet has aromas of lime-infused honey and flavours of fresh apple, but, unfortunately, little else. The colour is light, but so is everything else, and indeed it hardly seems like you're drinking wine at all. It's not that it's all that bad, it's that there's no depth at all, and the late bitterness, with vague minerality, leading to a very dry finish, doesn't help. It's fine for the price, I suppose, and with time the texture thickens and the flavours deepen with the emergence of pear honey, but it's pretty much completely uninteresting.

Rotllán Torra 2010, Doca Priorat

What great value for a Priorat, and for a characteristically elegant Priorat at that. This doesn't have great depth or length, but it offers up a fine expression of this famous and usually high-end region, resembling Left Bank Bordeaux with its plum/cassis, leather, spice, and oak notes (not surprising given that it's made up of 30% Cab to complement the 35% each of Garnacha and Mazuelo), and there's some nice tart cherry to provide refreshment amidst the denseness. It's still a bit tight and closed, and could benefit from additional time to mellow and soften, but the sophistication is evident.

Portia Ebeia Roble 2013, Ribera Del Duero

This is rather rough but actually quite appealing early on. It's medium-bodied but with a nicely dense feel, offering notes of raspberry, plum, dark and sour cherry, earth, and black pepper, with unobtrusive oak providing some backbone. But then comes the meat, lots of meat, Syrah-like meat, and it takes over, pushing most of the rest aside. And so, however appealing early on, there's just no integration, no sustainability, a single note emerging atop alternating sourness and bitterness, and not enough fruit for much further development. Still quite tasty, though, until it falls apart.

Ruppertsberger Linsenbusch Gewürztraminer Spätlese 2014, Prädikatswein

Ah, "noble rot." This late-harvest Gewürztraminer, a nice value from the Pfalz, offers characteristic notes of apricot and lychee, the sweetness nicely offset by delicate floral (rose) elements and a touch of bitterness on the finish, but the driving force here is the honey, in both flavour and texture, possibly from Botrytis. That's a good thing, as it provides body and counters the thinning fruit -- indeed, this has mead-like but also, at its heights, ice wine-like qualities. It works on its own, for sure, but it's even better with food. (It was simply brilliant with Indian curries.)

Tomàs Cusiné Llebre 2013, Do Costers Del Segre

Young but with nowhere to go, this disappointing blend offers a nose of mostly muddled overripe black and dried fruit (raisin, prune, fig) once it finally opens, and it's all pretty dull. Then the meaty, funky barnyard notes appear, and it comes to resemble a southern French GSM more than anything from Spain, but the dullness remains. (Red berries and buttercream come later.) It's not bad, all in all, and the length is quite good, but it's just way too simple, the flavours lacking definition and distinction, the funk taking over, a muddled mess in the end. Clearly, it has hit its mediocre peak.

Santa Carolina Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2013, Casablanca Valley

This effectively balances the fruit and the oak, as advertised, but there really isn't much of either, just some vanilla and white pepper mixed with pineapple, other tropical fruit, and apple. That might normally be enough, but it's way too thin, especially for a well-oaked "Gran Reserva," and has none of the lusciousness and enveloping warmth one expects from this sort of wine, instead lacking aromatic oomph and turning thin and bitter on the palate. It's not terrible, and the price is good, but why bother with so much better, similarly-affordable Chilean Chardonnay on the market?