Michael Stickings
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Reviews (246)
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Reviews
Argyros Assyrtiko 2013
Santorini, Greece$21.95
In the end, this Assyrtiko from Santorini is too tart for its own good, with a puckering sourness that overwhelms even as it refreshes, but it's still pretty remarkable otherwise. It takes some time to open up in the glass, lemon first, then yellow plum, then, as it evolves, a raw-almond nuttiness that isn't entirely successful, but the highlights are the distinctive notes produced by volcanic soil and island air, namely, expressive minerality throughout and a faint touch of salt hovering about. Time could tame the excess and deepen the flavours, but even now, so young, it's pretty amazing.
3.5 Stars
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Nk'mip Cellars Winemaker's Series Merlot 2011, BC VQA Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada$18.95
This B.C. Merlot comes across like a decent impersonation of right-bank Bordeaux, even as it's very much indicative of that single varietal. There are aromas of blueberry, plum, leather, earth, charcoal, tobacco, and pencil lead, with some rubber emerging later, and that fairly complex combination is certainly enticing. Spice enters on the palette, but by that point the sweetness has taken over, with the wine seeming a bit confected and artificial, and while it's medium-bodied, there's not much depth, the flavours dying mid-palette with the onset of dryness, the finish chalky.
3.5 Stars
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Jackson Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Brut 2011, Méthode Traditionnelle, VQA Niagara Peninsula
Ontario, Canada$24.95
What a super Ontario bubbly, showcasing such refinement, complexity, and sheer deliciousness that it could easily pass for a sparkling wine, even a high-powered French one, at two or three times the price. It nicely balances notes of lemon, fresh bread, pear, nuts, and a broad spectrum of apple (from tart green to sweeter Royal Gala) on a wave of zingy, refreshing acidity and with impressive body and length, a yeasty streak providing continuity throughout, held back only by aromatic austerity. A sophisticated pleasure, all in all, light and invigorating but also deep and satisfying.
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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Pegos Claros 2010, Doc Palmela
Portugal$15.95
Something quite different here, a Castelão from Palmela, south of Lisbon, something intriguing and delicious. There's just so much going on, with aromas and flavours of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, cherry, leather, earth, and cinnamon, touches of spicy oak and smooth chocolate lingering in the back, so much concentrated fruit complemented by rich savoury elements. It admirably balances richness and tartness, and indeed it actually comes across like a blend of southern French GSM (without the pepper) and Burgundian Pinot. Closed at first, it opens up beautifully. Exceptional 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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Manos Negras Malbec Atrevida 2010
Mendoza, Argentina$18.25
The addition of Cab Franc to this Malbec provides an extra layer of complexity that greatly benefits the final product, as the rich purple fruity/floral elements of the latter (blueberry, cassis, violet) are nicely complemented by black pepper, tobacco, leather, and, adding uplifting tartness, raspberry. For all this complexity and depth, the flavour profile is somewhat monolithic, the components turning indistinguishable behind a wall of wood and spice, the pepper proving dominant. But it's very good nonetheless, with a pleasant smokiness hovering over the proceedings, and quite intriguing.
3.5 Stars
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Paco & Lola Albariño 2013, Do Rías Baixas
Galicia, Spain$19.95
This is a fairly light, dry, and quite refreshing Albariño with a nice mix of zesty if not terribly pronounced fruit flavours, including pear, peach, mango, pineapple, and lemon, along with some streaky minerality that keeps the whole thing focused. The tartness ultimately gives way to a lingering bitterness on the finish, but the length is short and so the result isn't so much unpleasantness as a cleansed palette. While I don't usually assign specific foods to wine, this is ideal for shellfish, hardly surprising given its origins in northwestern Spain. Nicely done, if lacking punch overall.
3.5 Stars
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Les Halos De Jupiter Côtes Du Rhône 2012, Ac
Rhône, France$17.95
The best I've tasted from the "Halos de Jupiter" series, this CdR Grenache blend is richer and deeper than the alternatives, with lovely fruit notes of buttery plum, violets, blueberry, and raspberry supported by earth, leather, pepper spice, and those characteristic herbal-savoury elements of southern France. What keeps it from being a 90 is the excessive alcohol burn (15.5%) on the finish, alongside a touch of bitterness that detracts from the otherwise excellent length, but as an expression of the Grenache varietal from a specific part of a specific country, these Halos really hit the mark.
3.5 Stars
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Cavino Grande Reserve 2008, Pdo Nemea
Peloponnese, Greece$18.95
On the one hand, this good-value, medium-bodied Agiorgitiko from the Peloponnese comes across like a Pinot Noir with a rough edge, with earthy, woodsy, black peppery notes amidst sharp cherry and raspberry juice, a rustic approach to a sophisticated grape. On the other hand, there's rubber, quite a lot of it, on the nose and palette, and while it dissipates somewhat over time, it's an offensive note throughout. Oh, and there are also those chalky tannins to contend with on the finish. So it's an interesting if also disappointing effort, and it could have been so much better.
3.5 Stars
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