Paul Forget

Rivera Il Falcone Riserva Castel Del Monte 2007, Doc

This wine opened up with aromas of dark plum, cherry, prune, woodsmoke, chocolate, leather and earthy notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, very rustic with low acidity and dusty tannins. Interesting farmy, leathery character with mild dryness on the finish. For me, Rivera Il Falcone Riserva 2007 did not quit achieve the elegance of their 2006 vintage but it still an enjoyable and recommended wine.

Henry Of Pelham Reserve Baco Noir 2010, VQA Ontario

A deep purple in color, this wine opened up with aromas of blackberry, plum, smoky, meaty and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied with rich and smoky flavours, fresh acidity and low tannins. Very good length on the finish with a combination of jammy flavours, mocha, sour cherries and savoury herbs. Henry of Pelham Reserve Baco Noir has always been an interesting wine with lots of flavours and a great performer during the BBQ season, paired with hamburgers, sausage, ribs or steak. Very enjoyable and flavourful.

Domaine Les Grands Bois Cuvée Maximilien Côtes Du Rhône Villages Cairanne 2010, Unfiltered, Ac

Domaine De Bila Haut Occultum Lapidem 2009, Ac Côtes Du Roussillon Villages Latour De France

The first thing that stands out for me is how aromatic this wine is, with aromas of crushed ripe cherries, blackberry, dark plum, dried sage, rosemary and underbrush with a smoky and a stony minerality. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, with a creamy and juicy texture and flavours of dark ripe fruit, savoury notes and gentle wood spices, balanced acidity and silky tannins. The finish is long and juicy with great flavours.
This was my first experience with this wine and a much more enjoyable experience than the straight Rousillon Village from Bila-Haut and worth the extra dollars. Real easy to enjoy and worthy of another purchase; the bad news is that it’s already sold out in my market (Ottawa). I will approach the next vintage little wiser. Enjoy on December 24, 2012.

Spinifex Papillon Grenache/Cinsault/Carignan/Shiraz 2010, Barossa Valley, South Australia

This wine opened up with aromas of plum/strawberry/raspberry fruit, dried violet, white pepper and savoury spices. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied (with alcohol at 14%), light on its feet, delicate texture, spicy plum jelly flavours, good acidity and smooth well integrated tannins. This blends finish is medium length, not very complex but smooth with nice flavours. Very interesting, easy drinking Australian Rhône blend from Australia and very enjoyable.

Fraser Gallop Cabernet/Merlot 2010, Margaret River, Western Australia

This wine is a blend of all five Bordeaux grapes; 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and in a supporting role Malbec 2%, Cabernet Franc 2% and Petit Verdot 1%, with maturation taking place in French oak for 10 months. This wine is unfined, but filtered, listed as dry, and alcohol comes in at 13%.
This wine is a textbook Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of black currants, blackberry, damp earth, mint, savoury spices, black pepper, espresso and toasty notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, robust, firm textured but not overbearing, low acidity and fine drying tannins. Very good length on the finish, very masculine with layered dark fruit, savoury and earthy notes with a fine tannic grip lingering. Definitely more Bordeaux than Australia in style with a lot of life left here, best enjoyed in 2-3 years. Well made and very enjoyable.

Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barbera D'alba Superiore 2010

This is the style of Barbera which strongly appeals to my palette. This wine opened up with aromas of sour cherry, plum, pomegranate, dried violet and spicy notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, dry, smooth texture, firm acidity and fine dusty tannins. Good length and very pleasant on the finish with flavours of sweet and sour fruit and savoury spices. This wine is 100% Barbara, maturation for 12 months in oak barrels and alcohol coming in at 13.5%. This 2010 vintage is a much stronger effort, better balance than the 2009 vintage. The 1% reduction in alcohol makes for a much fresher and more enjoyable, prettier Barbera. Great value and strongly recommended.

Nekeas El Chaparral De Vega Sindoa Old Vines Grenache 2010, Do Navarra

Lovely aromatics in this Grenache with aromas of raspberry, plum, cranberry, spicy, licorice, vanilla, light cedar and herbal notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, dry, spicy with slightly tart flavours of red fruit, bright acidity and light dusty tannins. Medium length on the finish, very edgy and intense with sour edge flavours of cherry and plum, spices and light herbal note lingering. My favourite element of this wine is its aromatics; the mouthfeel is a little tart. Slightly chilled, highlights the sweeter character of the Grenache and tames the sour flavours, but I still find this wine to be very interesting. Not all wines need to be sweet to be enjoyable, this wine is more like a spicy Pinot Noir then it is an old vines Grenache. Now, this is not a wine for everyone but definitely makes for an interesting conversation piece over dinner. Overall, I quite enjoyed this wine

Susana Balbo Brioso 2006, Agrelo, Mendoza, Unfined And Unfiltered

This wine opened up with aromas of crushed wild berries, plum, black currant, soft leather, exotic spices and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, lively acidity, soft tannins with a silky smooth texture. This blend has a medium length on the finish, somewhat sweet with flavours of vanilla, soft seductive fruit and gentle wood spice. This wine was six years old and in my view, drinking at its prime. I would have preferred more tannins to give this wine a little more structure. Its strength is its aromatics. No doubt that this Susana Balbo Brioso 2006 is easy to enjoy.

Ballast Stone Shiraz 2009, Mclaren Vale, South Australia

Here something you don’t see often, a full bodied, well balanced, delicious Shiraz under $20.00. This wine opened up with aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, stewed plums, black licorice, chocolate, mint, eucalyptus and smoky cedar notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied (with alcohol coming in at a generous 15%), and with alcohol this high, this wine is still well balanced by its richness of fruit, flavours, texture, balanced acidity and fined grained tannins. Great length on the finish, with a rich creamy texture and ripe fruit lingering. Quit delicious and easily enjoyed. Drinking well now or over the next 4-5 years.