Michael Stickings
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Reviews (246)
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Reviews
Pieropan Soave Classico 2014, Doc
Veneto, Italy$19.95
This is still young, and it has the sharp, vibrant acidity and fruit depth to warrant a good deal more aging, but it's so very impressive now with aromas of lemon, raw almond, pear, apple, lychee, and slate -- and indeed it is the balance of citrus and mineral that really makes this shine (reminiscent of a dry Mosel Riesling). The lemony acidity dominates the palate, but there's ample structure and savoury complexity to keep it contained. So very Italian, in the way of great Italian whites, and such a great value, this is a Soave that defies the region's poor reputation and builds its own.
3.5 Stars
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Maria Alvarez Serrano Abadía De Gomariz 2010, Do Ribeiro
Spain$14.75
The aromatics of this powerful Ribeiro blend of Sousón, Ferrol, Brancellao, and Mencía are truly exceptional, direct and unabashed with characteristic Mencía notes of blueberry, blackberry, and violet, along with dried figs, prunes, cinnamon, and earth, while on the palate it presents a broad array of fruit from the dried (as on the nose) to the tart (raspberry, cherry) but with the emphasis still on wild berries complemented by baking spice and pepper. It's quite rustic, both in taste and texture, but what it lacks in complexity and sophistication it makes up for in concentration and depth.
3.5 Stars
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Cara Nord 2013, Do Conca De Barberà
Catalonia, Spain$19.95
Though still young, this Garnacha-Syrah-Garrut (Mourvèdre) blend from Conca De Barberà, close to Priorat and Montsant, is a full, rich, well-balanced red that tastes just like a GSM blend from Spain should. Soft yet structured, fresh yet profound, it features a complex array of notes including plum, blackcurrant, prune, fig, dried raspberry and other berries (suggesting Rioja), black pepper, earth, roasted and cured meat, and leather (suggesting maturity beyond its youth). It's not clear if it this has much aging potential, but it works very well right now, rewarding contemplative tasting.
3.5 Stars
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Bischofliche Weingüter Trier Ayler Kupp Riesling Kabinett 2013, Prädikatswein
Mosel, Germany$23.95
A wonderful off-dry Kabinett from a single vineyard in the Saar. The nose is subdued but complex with apple, lemon, pineapple, green papaya, passion fruit, guava, apricot, mango, and petrol. These build on the palate, with an explosion of tropical fruit, along with the stone and orchard fruit, and a touch of slate. It's less minerally than other Mosel Rieslings, but there's still that extraordinary depth (even on a light frame) and balance that defines the region, the fleshy fruit complemented by zippy acidity, the many notes playing harmoniously through the long finish. Simply delicious.
3.5 Stars
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Alvaro Palacios Camins Del Priorat 2011, Doca Priorat
Priorat, Spain$25.95
Ah, Priorat. This Palacios blend has the famous freshness, the famous acidity, and the famous minerality derived from the famous llicorella terroir, along with characteristic ripe fruit notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, and raspberry backed by savoury notes of earth and spice. It's truly the minerality that stands out, though, and it adds a great deal of complexity in and of itself with graphite, slate, and crushed rock elements. It also has well-integrated tannins, but the acidity, lively bordering on aggressive, needs more time to calm down. Still, a great entry point into a great region.
3.5 Stars
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Poderi Angelini Primitivo Di Manduria 2010
Puglia, Italy$18.95
Here's an earthy, dusty, leathery, slightly bretty, sharply acidic, and deeply rustic Primitivo. But time pulls out baked dark berries and plums, dried dark fruit (including concentrated raisin), brown and pepper spice, vanilla marshmallow, and fresh raspberry, with notable heat. This is all about savoury rusticity, at least initially and as the frame, but the tangy fruit brightens things up through to a bitter herb finish, with whisky-note sweetness adding a pleasantly soft, smooth complement. Great value, impressive complexity and, overall, undeniable elegance within that rustic frame.
3.5 Stars
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Emiliana Novas Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2013
Maipo Valley, Chile$15.95
Emiliana's organic Novas range is great value, but this Cab-Merlot blend is also really good regardless. It's somewhat rough now, in its youth, but the elements are all there, with a sweet, buttery nose and notes of cassis, blackberry, raspberry, plum, graphite, and mint, enough savoury goodness to offset the sweet fruit. It lacks depth on the palate, it's a touch bitter on the finish, and it's just too coarse overall (if quite a bit smoother and softer by the second day), but this is a very fine effort nonetheless, yet more proof that high-quality wine can carry a very reasonable price tag.
3.5 Stars
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Layers Shiraz/Tempranillo/Mourvèdre/Grenache 2012, Barossa, South Australia
South Australia, Australia$17.95
Balance, elegance, complexity. This blend offers aromas and flavours of blackberry, raspberry, cherry, redcurrant, earth, black pepper, wild herbs, licorice, and cured meat, and it's like a happy marriage between southern France and northeastern Spain (without the imposing Rioja oak and Rhône/Midi funk), Tempranillo tartness lifting up the earthier, denser GSM to a level of delicate stability. What really stands out, though, is just how admirably restrained and understated this blend is, a far cry from stereotypical Aussie reds (and Shirazes in particular). It's also a fantastic value.
3.5 Stars
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Domaine Des Bacchantes Côtes Du Rhône 2012
Rhône, France$16.95
Big, thick, rich, and hot, this Syrah-based blend (70%) comes across like an overbaked spicy fruit pudding served with earth and leather -- blackberry, raspberry, black pepper, and brown baking spices all mixed together, slight meaty notes lurking in the background, the earthiness keeping it real. These elements are muddled, though, and what rescues it is the acidity, the cran-cherry tang, along with a solid structure despite the pudding-ness. The value is certainly there, and the fruit-spice combination is certainly appealing, but otherwise this is just a decent CdR without much distinction.
3.5 Stars
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Hecht & Bannier Minervois 2011, Ac
Languedoc, France$19.95
Intriguing if not altogether satisfying, the H&B Minervois is loaded with that leather/tar/meat funkiness so common to the Midi, but thankfully it also has an abundance of brooding dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant) to provide balance, along with notes of cherry, oregano, fennel, crushed rock, woodsmoke, and characteristic Syrah spice. But while it's complex on the palette, the local terroir ultimately coming through, it needs a long time to open up, several hours at least, and even then it never quite gets past that funkiness, which dominates the nose to its overall detriment.
3.5 Stars
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