Paul Forget
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Following (7)
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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
Tokara Director's Reserve Red 2006, Wo Stellenbosch
South Africa$26.95
This Bordeaux blend from South Africa as incredible aromatics. Just smelling this wine, I know, this should be something special. On the nose I get blackberry, black currant, cassis, cedar and Christmas cake spices. The aromas follow through beautifully onto the palate, full body, balance acidity and well integrated tannins. The finish is long with freshly roasted coffee, earthy and classic cedar notes .Stylish and very classy wine here.
Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Colchagua Valley, Apalta Vineyard
Chile$24.95
A rich and velvety wine, with complex aroma of blackberries, fruit cake and chocolate. Medium to full body, mouth fell of concentrated red fruit, sweet spices and cedar, balance acidity and grainy tannins. Very good wine now, but would be excellent and very smooth in 2-3 years. Would buy this again.
Domaine Cros De Romet Cairanne Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2010, Ac
Rhône, France$23.95
Deep opaque purple in color, this wine opened up with aromas of black cherry, dark plum, dried herbs, peppery and smoky and earthy notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, hot with flavours of black fruit, spices and charred wood, low acidity and firm tannins. This finish is medium length, hot with baked fruit and a stony minerality texture. After tasting a number of 2010 Rhône wines, I started to think that they were (for the most part) un-balanced, lacked finesse, with high alcohol and low acidity. For my palate, Domaine Cros De Romet Cairanne Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2010 has nice flavours but the whole package is over the top for me, the fruit feels baked, the alcohol is crazy high and the lack of acidity is not helping, disappointing.
Luigi Bosca Single Vineyard Malbec 2008, Luján De Cuyo, Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina$21.95
This wine opens up with ripe plums, fresh cherries, spices, red currants, light cedar and slight floral tones. Rich and vibrant mouthfeel with fresh acidity, velvet tannins and noticeable alcohol. It states 14.4% on the label but to me, it does feel higher. This Malbec finish is long with Cherry, sweet spices and mocha, leaving a good impression. This wine has so much potential, each glass was getting better and better. Overall great aromatics, very good value, this is a lot of wine for $22, drink now or hold for 4-5 years.
Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Margaret River
Western Australia, Australia$19.95
Great nose on this Cabernet with aromas of dark plum/cherry fruit, cassis, violet, spicy with forest floor notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with fine texture, spicy ripe berry flavours and fine grained tannins. Great flavours and spicy on the finish, with a bit of heat from the alcohol at the finish. This wine definitely benefited from 2 years in my cellar with the result, a Cabernet with well integrated tannins and robust flavours and texture which you would expect from a good Cab. Very enjoyable and a very good value. Enjoy on October 19, 2012.
Marqués De Cáceres Tinto Reserva 2005, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$24.95
This wine opened up with a sensuous bouquet of cherry, blackberry, black plum, incense, toast, sandalwood, cinnamon and vanilla spices. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, dry, a nice blend of fruit, cedar and spices, mild acidity and grainy tannins. This wine’s finish is long, masculine with a savoury edge and persistent tannins lingering. This wine should acquire additional complexity with a further 2-3 years in bottle, if your impatient (like me) 1-2 hour in your decanter is strongly recommended. I will wait a further 1-2 years before opening my remaining bottle. What I like the most about this reserve 2005 is the aromatics, recommended for fans of Spanish wines.
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.