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
Tenuta Di Ghizzano Veneroso 2007, Igt Toscana
Tuscany, Italy$29.95
The nose on this wine was a little funky at first, which cleared away after 10 minutes or so. On the nose, strongly varietal Sangiovese aromas of black plum, cherry, stewed rhubarb, cedar, leather, dusty and spicy notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full body (with alcohol at 13.5%), fresh acidity, muscular tannins and excellent dept of flavours. This blend's finish is medium length with soft fruit and fine dusty tannins. Should be served slightly chilled around 16-17°C. A very nice wine here, where each glass improved as the evening provgressed, great structure on the palate and lovely finish. Strongly recommended
4.0 Stars
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Tabali Reserva Especial Syrah 2008, Limari Valley
Chile$19.95
A compact, concentrated wine with blackberry, stewed plums, pepper, smoky and underbrush aromas. The palate is dense, sweet with balance acidity and rounded tannins. This Syrah’s finish is long, smokey, savoury and very rich. Drinking well right now, but I would like to revisit this wine in 1-2 years, as all the elements are here for this wine to gain some elegance. Maybe a bit sweet for some, but strongly recommended, especially at this price.
4.0 Stars
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Salcheto Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2005, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$24.95
It is treat to find a mature vintage of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in our LCBO stores. A very elegant and sophisticated nose here with dark plums, ripe berries, currants, floral, soft leather, spices and earthy. This wine is medium bodied (13% Alc.) and nicely structered with silky smooth tannins, complex mouthfeel and fresh acidity. The finish is long, savoury and slightly tart. 30% of this Sangiovese based wine was aged in French Allier barriques while the remainder matured in Slavonian oak casks. An honest wine here with a real sense of place, great food companion and a superb value. Need I say, strongly recommended.
4.0 Stars
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Muratie Shiraz 2007, Wo Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch, South Africa$24.95
This wine arrives somewhere between a Rhône Syrah and Australian Shiraz, with aromas of black fruit, cocoa, tobacco, spices, meaty and floral notes. This medium to full bodied Shiraz mouthfeel is rich, dry, intense with concentrated flavours, lively acidity and smooth ripe tannins. This wine finish is long with excellent depth of flavours, savoury and meaty style of Shiraz. On a more technical note, this wine is 100% Shiraz, aging took place in 90% French oak and 10% American oak with alcohol coming in at 14.5%. I am no longer surprised by the quality of South African wines around the $25.00 price range. Very enjoyable and strongly recommended
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Verbena Brunello Di Montalcino 2007, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$39.95
Here is a sophisticated, very elegant style of Brunello with gorgeous aromatics. This wine opens up with aromas of cherry, plum, tobacco, exotic spices, violet, cedar wood and earthy notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied (alcohol coming in at 14%), dry, rich texture, good energy in the mouth, fresh acidity and grainy, chewy tannins. Beautifully robust, complex finish with great flavours, mixing power (tannins) with elegance. Drinking nicely now (after 1 hour in decanter), should age brilliantly over the next 3 to 5 years. This wines strength for me is its aromatics and finish, very enjoyable and strongly recommended, went back and purchase another bottle.
4.0 Stars
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Quinta Do Vale Meao Meandro 2008
Douro, Portugal$24.95
This concentrated wine is made with premium grapes usually used in the production of Port. The exact blend is 35% Touriga Franca, 25% Touriga Nacional, 25% Tinta Roriz, 5% Sousão, 5% Tinta Amarela and 5% Tinta Cao, aged in second and third year French Allier oak barriques. This wine opens up with aromas of blueberry and blackberry fruit, dried violet, leather, earthy, burnt toast , cedar and dried herb. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied (alcohol coming in at 14%), rich, yet well structured with good acidity and firm tannins. The finish is long dry with silky texture and dark fruit and earthy notes lingering. Very traditional and gorgeous wine here, and at this price, a very good value. Strongly recommended
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Artezin Zinfandel 2010, Mendocino County
California, Usa$24.50
In a blind tasting this wine would be easily recognizable as a Zinfandel, from its medium ruby colour, but don’t let that light colour fool you. The nose is very expressive with a rich and fruity mouthfeel and a explosive flavourful finish, classic Zin. This wine is a blend of mostly Zinfandel at 89% with Petite Sirah at 10% an Carignan at 1%, maturation took place in 100% French oak (second and third fill).
This wine opened up with aromas of ripe berries, plum, fresh herbs, black pepper, vanilla and cinnamon notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied with delicious forward fruit flavours, crisp acidity and silky tannins. This Zin finish is very long, spicy, fruit focused with light tannins and a bit of heat from the 14.9% alcohol. Just a beautiful and well made juicy red here with great purity of fruit and carefully restrained oak, strongly recommended.
4.0 Stars
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Benziger Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
California, Usa$29.95
Deep violet in colour with aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, cassis, leather and smoky. This Cabernet is very dry, full body with alcohol coming in at 14.5%, concentrated flavours, fine acidity and firm tannins. The finish is long with flavours of black cherry, cassis and puckering tannins. Enjoyable now if you don’t mind the tannins but, lacking finesse right now. It should be much better after shedding some of its oak, demands two to three years in the cellar.
4.0 Stars
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Poliziano Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2007, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$29.95
From the very successful 2007 Tuscan vintage, classic Sangiovese aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant, forest floor, mushroom, damp earth and savoury. On the palate, this wine is medium to full body (14.5% alcohol) and offers a good contrast between rich and concentrated fruit and earthy notes, with balanced acidity and firm tannins. The opening aromas continue through, with a smokey, earthy and dark fruit through a long and dry finish. If you drink now, this wine should be decanted for about one hour, or keep it in the bottle for one or two years, this will allow for greater integration of the flavours. Great Value and strongly recommended.
4.0 Stars
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Luca Malbec 2009, Uco Valley, Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina$32.95
Very attractive nose on this Malbec with aromas of black cherry, ripe berries, chocolate, smoky and gentle wood spices. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, very tasty with a solid core of ripe fruit, fresh acidity and silky tannins. Very good length on the finish, slightly creamy with flavours of ripe wild berries savoury spices and chocolate lingering. This is a very rich and well structured Malbec where the oak treatment is noticeable but not overdone. Strongly recommended.
4.0 Stars
(0)V