Paul Forget

Dog Point Vineyard Chardonnay 2009

Straw yellow in color, this Chardonnay opens up with aromas of pear, peach, pineapple, lime zest, toasty and roasted nuts. On the palate, medium bodied, lean in the mouth with a slightly sweet and creamy texture with fresh acidity. Very nice length on the finish, with a mix of citrus/ripe tree fruit and refreshing acidity. What you get from Dog Point Chardonnay 2009 is elegance and a great deal of finesse. Strongly recommended.

Sequillo Cellars Red 2009, Wo Swartland

It seems that I didn’t tasted the same wine has everyone else base on all those 90’s scores. Curiously pale red in color for a Rhône blend and 24 months in oak, this wine opens up with aromas of red fruit (plum and raspberry), violet, licorice, spices and a slight medicinal note. On the mouthfeel, light to medium bodied (in texture) but hot alcohol and not enough fruit or tannins to give this wine any structure. This blends finish is short, unpleasant with tart and slightly bitter flavours. Everything about this wine is odd, from the color, to the clear glass bottle, the short agglomerate wine corks (you think that you would want to use a natural wine cork for a wine at this price). For me this wine tasted like an alcoholic Kool-Aid and at this price ($29.95) a robbery. Not recommended, score 78 points

Best's Great Western Bin No. 1 Shiraz 2009, Grampians, Victoria

I love aromatic, elegant cool climate Shiraz and this one opens up with aromas of plum, black currants, dates, black pepper, spices and floral notes. On the monthfeel, medium-full bodied (with alcohol coming in at 14.5%), lighter fruit and sweet flavours in mid palate, lively acidity and well integrated tannins. This Shiraz finish is long with juicy red and black fruit and vanilla oak flavours lingering. Excellent balance, intensely flavourful and unlikely to disappoint.

Romain Duvernay Vacqueyras 2009

A wine of deep purple, which opens up with aromas of blueberry- blackberry fruit, licorice, burnt toast, black pepper and dried floral notes. On the palate, full bodied, concentrated flavours, balanced acidity and firm tannins. A wine of many layers on the finish including dark fruit, sweet oak, savoury notes and those same firm tannins lingering 'till the end. Drink now or over the next 5-6 years. Strongly recommended.

Mitolo Savitar Shiraz 2008, Mclaren Vale

This wine is 100% Shiraz, aged in 100% new medium to light toasted 80% French oak and 20% French coopered American oak for 17 months and alcohol is listed as 14.5% on the label but is advertised at 15% on the winery website.
Pouring a deep purple, this wines aromatics opened up with a bouquet of wild berries, blackcurrants, stewed plums, raisins, eucalyptus, incense, toasty and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied with a rich texture of layered dark fruit and spices, low acidity and velvet tannins. This Shiraz finish is robust with chocolate covered blueberries and vanilla spices flavours with slightly burning alcohol that leaves a lasting impression. I love both the superb aromatics and the rich mouthfeel but I would have to think that the alcohol is indeed at 15%, leaving you with a hot finish. This is a big imposing Shiraz, tailor made for steaks on the barbie. I would have enjoyed a little more elegance at this price, but still enjoyable.

Gemma Giblin Riserva Barolo 2005, Docg

Bright pale ruby in color, this Barolo opened up with lively aromas of sour cherry, wild strawberry, dried roses, white pepper and soft leather notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, with great energy and texture, lively acidity and mouth drying tannins. This wine finish is long, intensely flavourful with mild tannins lingering. This is a very elegant, spicy, floral and pretty Barolo which is drinking well right now or cellar no more than 2-3 years. It is interesting that such a pale color wine can pack such a punch? Strongly recommended.

Coriole Vineyards Estate Grown Shiraz 2009, Mclaren Vale, South Australia, 40th Anniversary

Beautiful deep purple in color, this Shiraz opens up with aromas of cherry, plum, dried raspberry, mocha, cedar and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, fairly extracted flavours of ripe plums/cherry, licorice, baking spices and cedar, fresh acidity and fine silky tannins. This wine finish is intensely flavourful, slightly creamy with excellent depth of flavours. Glad I purchased more than one bottle, because even if it is drinking well now, it will keep improving and will get more elegant and smoother over the next 3-4 years. Gorgeous wine and strongly recommended.

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2010, Hawkes Bay

A deep plum color, this wine opens up with aromas of plumy-blackberry fruit, dried violet, white pepper, meaty and dry spices notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied , black fruit flavours and rustic with fresh acidity and fined-grained tannins. Dry with a good length on the finish with blackberry and crushed stone texture lingering. Very interesting and enjoyable, better served with food (would be great with lamb).

Remo Farina Monte Fante Riserva Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2006, Doc

This wine opened up with aromas of stewed berries, raisin, prune, dried figs, soft leather and savoury spices. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, rich with silky smooth texture, a lot of fruit and alcohol but it is perfectly balanced by crisp acidity and fine tannins. This wine has a very good length and depth on the finish with a hint of chocolate with raisins, red and black fruit flavours with a little heat and very smooth. This Amarone is very tasty and flavourful with lots of everything but no excess. A real treat, very comforting and strongly recommended.

Diamandes De Uco Gran Reserva 2008, Mendoza