Michael Stickings
|
Followers (5)
|
|
|
Following (0)
|
Reviews (246)
|
Reviews
Cave Spring Estate Bottled Gewurztraminer 2012, Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$17.95
The wine that first got me into wine many years ago, Cave Spring's Gewürztraminer is a brilliant example of what the varietal can achieve in Ontario and a world-class example of the varietal in its own right. There's lychee, of course, though it seems toned down from previous vintages, along with peach, pear, and touches of spice. Luscious and silky in the mouth, the sweetness kept in check with some citrusy bitterness towards the finish and some refreshing dryness as well, this is a gorgeously sexy wine that remains elegantly balanced and under control even as it arouses the senses.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Jim Barry Cover Drive Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Australia$26.95
Dominated by graphite on the nose and sour currant on the finish, it takes time for this Aussie Cab to find itself, even a day or so, but when it does it achieves wonderful balance and harmony -- old/new, light/dark, sweet/savoury, rich/refreshing all at the same time. The graphite-currant duo remains, but there's serious complexity with leather, dark chocolate, tobacco, spice, and red berry notes, with a hint of mint in the background. The deeper elements are worth pondering, but in no way is this some brooding beast, and while the tannins could have been softer, the results are excellent.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
13th Street Cuvee Rosé Brut, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$29.95
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+)W+(15)O
Borgogno Langhe Freisa 2012, Doc
Piedmont, Italy$21.95
The nose on this Piedmontese Freisa, yet another uncommon Italian grape deserving of much wider attention and recognition, is just do distinctively Italian, and so gorgeously complex, with light, sweet strawberry, tart raspberry and cherry, berry leaf, dried herbs, and dusty earth, more savoury than sweet but very nicely balanced. It's dusty and acidic on the palate, and quite dry, with the flavours not nearly as compelling as the aromas, and it lacks depth, but it's wonderfully food-friendly in that typically Italian way.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Dandelion Lioness Of Mclaren Vale Shiraz 2011, Mclaren Vale
South Australia, Australia$19.95
There's nothing restrained about this McLaren Vale Shiraz. With a gorgeous deep violet colour it brings big-time aromas of cassis, black pepper, and smoke, with ripe dark cherry and sweet black plum, as well as graphite, a touch of resin, and an odd intermittent bretty note. It's quite thick in the mouth, at least until the bitterness of the finish, and it's certainly very juicy, but it lacks structure and there's not nearly enough acidity to cut through the fatty fruitiness of the whole thing, and so it comes across like overripe alcoholic grape juice. Even at the price, a disappointment.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Lealtanza Reserva 2009, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$19.95
Bodegas Altanza is about balance, and this excellent '09 Reserva is a fine example of what this outstanding producer can achieve. It's restrained yet expressive, complex yet accessible, pointing both to the past and to the future, earthy barnyard and leather aromas giving way to layers of flavour including cherry, raspberry, currant, and dried fruit, surrounded by herbs and with a core of rocky minerality, the many sweet/sour and fruity/savoury notes mingling nicely, the tannins nicely integrated. It's a bit closed, maybe too restrained, but with time the expert balance shines through.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2012, Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina$25.95
There's a good deal of depth and complexity in this big, bold Malbec, with aromas of plum, blackberry, mocha, cola, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, violet, and herbs leading to a dense mouthfeel with similarly rich and spicy flavour elements, and there's good structure even if it does come across as excessively sweet and syrupy. But the heat (14.5%) is just too much, all in all, preventing the elements from speaking for themselves, and by the second day, while interesting meaty notes appear, the fruit is all but gone, their absence serving to highlight the basic problems.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Baron De Ley Varietales Graciano 2010, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$21.95
Like vanilla-coconut pudding served with toasty oak shavings. It's nice to see the re-emergence of an under-appreciated varietal like Graciano, but this expression hides the grape in way too much wood. There's body and depth, the tannins are quite soft, and there are pleasant aromas and flavours of ripe blackberry and raspberry as well as leather and floral violet, and there's refreshing pomegranate acidity on the palate, but the wood-based elements are too much to overcome. Extensive decanting helps, and it's better by the second day, but the Graciano grape remains unfortunately overwhelmed.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Ontañón Crianza 2010, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$16.95
This good, solid Rioja Crianza (at a great price) is all about potential. Right now, it has a lovely nose of sweet vanilla, woodsy oak, and luscious fruit (raspberry, blueberry, cherry), but it falters somewhat thereafter, exposing hollowness mid-palate, succumbing to tartness in place of fruit depth, and coming across as way too acidic for its own good. But therein lies its potential, and given its acid-tannin-fruit structure it's likely that additional aging will soften the edges and allow the deeper flavours to shine. It may never be a great wine, but it could develop to just short of that.
3.5 Stars
(0)V
Faustino I Gran Reserva 2001, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$35.95
This unabashedly old-fashioned wine is a remarkable thing to experience. At any given time, it's anywhere from 87-91, fabulously complex at its best, unbalanced at its worst, shifting and evolving over the course of minutes, hours, and days. The main problem is the barnyard funk that dominates at first and then ebbs and flows. It's fine as part of the mix but somewhat repugnant when at its strongest. But for a 2001, there's still so much going on, with vibrant cherry, currant, and red berries, along with leather, baking spice, licorice, vanilla, and oak. So much to like, but, alas, that funk.
3.5 Stars
(0)V