Paul Forget
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Followers (13)
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Following (7)
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Reviews (370)
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I was born into a French Canadian family and started tasting wine early with food. My love of wine and food goes hand in hand, when you have a perfect pairing, it is one of those great pleasures in life.
I have recently returned to Ontario, after living in Victoria, BC for the last four years. I worked part-time for the Mark Anthony Group which allowed me to attend many industry tastings, including numerous Import Vintners and Spirits Association tastings.
Before moving to Victoria, in December of 2006, I graduated with a Sommelier Certification from Algonquin College in Ottawa.
What I look for in a wine, above all, is aromatics. The nose should draw you in, not to much alcohol with good acidity, rich and concentrated flavour. For me, great wines are about subtlety, complexity and finesse. A bottle of wine should tell a story, should have a sense of place, terroir, where the grapes where grown. The use of oak should be handled with care.
I love everything about wine and recognize I have a great deal to learn. I enjoyed a great deal of BC wines and I am eager to get more familiar with Ontario wines.
Reviews
Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2008, Coonawarra
South Australia, Australia$34.95
I love the sophisticated nose here; with aromas of blackberry, dark plums, cassis, black olives tapenade, smoky and savoury notes. The palate reveals a Shiraz with fresh acidity, silky tannins with savoury, rich and concentrated flavours. Very good length on the finish, with savoury, smoky notes, white pepper and a solid core of ripe dark fruit lingering. The 2008 Bin 128 Shiraz was aged 12 months in French oak hogsheads, with alcohol coming in at 14.5%. A lovely wine to smell with a robust structure yet very approachable right now. Strongly recommended.
3.5 Stars
Isole E Olena Chianti Classico 2007
Tuscany, Italy$26.95
The 2007 Chianti Classico is absolutely delicious and very aromatic with plums, sour cherry, violet and cedar on the nose. This wine is light to medium body with refreshing acidity and drying tannins. The finish is long, spicy with a sweet and sour excitement, which I love about Sangiovese. A Chianti Classico with aging potential from a great vintage and a superb food companion.
3.5 Stars
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Coriole Redstone Shiraz 2007, Mclaren Vale, South Australia
Australia$17.95
A rich and concentrated nose; dark fruit, cassis, earthy, cedar (lots of it) and licorice. Mouth feel is heavy with too much oak, a bit tart and drying tannins. Finish is long, dry and spicy. Food wine for sure. I would lay this one down for 1-2 years. Was actually much better the next day. Tasted February 2011.
3.5 Stars
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Château Du Trignon Le Bossu Gigondas 2007, Ac
Rhône, France$27.95
This wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault with alcohol coming in at 14.5%. This blend opened up with aromas of blackberry, stewed plums, dried herbs and leathery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, little fruit, dried, firm structured with low acidity and dusty tannins. Medium length on the finish, earthy, smoky and spices flavours, dusty tannins and alcohol heat making its presence felt till the end. For me this is not one of their finest wines, from Château Du Trignon that I have had, a little unbalanced for me. This wine needed a little more acidity and a whole lot more fruit, but the aromatics were very sensuous.
3.5 Stars
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Le Sughere Di Frassinello 2007, Igt Maremma Toscana
Tuscany, Italy$24.95
A bit too easy removing the cork from the bottle, wine leak almost to the top of the cork (on two sides). I thought it might have been slightly oxidized, as the wine was much softer than I expected and drinking like it was a much older wine.
This blend opens up with aromas of small berry fruit, plum, fig, dried raisin, soft leather, exotic spices, earthy and violet notes. On the palate, medium-full bodied, silky smooth texture, fresh acidity and fine grained tannins. Very good length on the finish with soft seductive fruit and savoury flavours. This wine has elegance with seamless aromatics and great finesse. It may have been a cork situation here, but I don’t think that this wine would gain much more with age. I am not sure how it would drink in a year from now, but on this day Le Sughere Di Frassinello 2007 was very enjoyable. Tasted June 2012.
3.5 Stars
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Castello Di Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva 2008
Tuscany, Italy$29.95
A beautiful deep ruby in color, this wine opened up with a sensuous bouquet of cherry, black plum, black currants, sandalwood, leather, vanilla and spices notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, tangy, fine texture, harmonious with fresh acidity and dusty tannins. Great length on the finish with flavours of ripe berry fruit, herbs and spices, cedar notes and very tasty. Castello Di Querceto Chianti Classico Riserva 2008 strikes a good balance between traditional style and modern style of Chianti Classico, the winemaker really nailed the aromatics, great nose. This wine should keep improving over the next 2-4 years but delicious right now. Strongly recommended, enjoy on March 10, 2013.
3.5 Stars
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Poliziano Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2009, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$29.95
This wine pours a beautifully dark ruby in color and opened up with aromas of black cherry, dark plums, blackcurrants, forest floor, sandalwood, tobacco and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, great flavours, beautifully structured, harmonious with fresh acidity and fined grained tannins. A great deal of finesse and elegance on the finish, with nice sweet and sour fruit flavours and savoury spices lingering. I love the seductive fruit and savoury personality of this Poliziano Vino Nobile and the great mouthfeel, well handled use of barrel fermentation, should age quite nicely over the next three to four years. Gorgeous wine, strongly recommended.
3.5 Stars
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Domaine De La Tour Chablis Monts Main 1er Cru 2008, Ac
Burgundy, France$29.95
This wine's elegance and sophistication is a perfect example why Chablis is one of my favourite white wines. This Chardonnay opens with aromas of pear, citrus, dried apple, hazelnut and fresh baked bread. The mouthfeel is smooth, creamy and buttery with fine acidity. This Chablis medium length finish is clean with ripe pears and hazelnut flavours lingering. I prefer my Chablis with a little more minerality, but that being said, this was a superb wine.
3.5 Stars
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