Paul Forget
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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
Baron De Ley Gran Reserva 2001, Doca Rioja
Rioja, Spain$29.95
Complex nose here; tobacco, smoke, church wood, allspice, leather, violet with a touch of bret, but nothing crazy in fact it had to the funk. Medium to full body, soft tannins, balance acidity with well integrated flavours. Finish is long with cedar lingering on the palate. Very elegant and aromatic. Wish I had bought more than one bottle. Tasted January 2011.
4.0 Stars
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Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Coonawarra, South Australia
Australia$29.95
Very expressive nose of blackberry, blueberry, dark plum, mint, vanilla and leather. This Cabernet is full body with rich dark fruit flavour, sweet oak characteristics and grainy tannins. Would like to try this wine again in 5-6 years. Solid buy.
4.0 Stars
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Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate 2006, Santa Cruz Mountains
California, Usa$73.95
Ridge Zinfandels have been one of my favourite Zins for quite some time now, but this is my first experience with a Bordeaux blend from this vineyard. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon at 56%, Merlot at 42% and as a supporting role, Petit Verdot at 2% with alcohol coming in at 13.7%, surprisingly low for a California wine. The best part of this wine is the aromatics, with aromas of red and black fruit, cassis, savoury and floral notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied with chalky tannins, very thin in mid palate with sharp acidity. Medium length on the finish with red cherry fruit, tart, dry with persistent tannins lingering. With these tannins you would think that this wine needs time to come around, but there isn’t enough fruit and structure for this wine to improve. At this price, not a good value, next time, I will stick with there lovely ripe zinfandels.
4.0 Stars
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Mission Hill Quatrain 2006, VQA Okanagan Valley
British Columbia, Canada$44.95
Quatrain is a poem or Stanza that is always composed of four lines. This wine is similarly composed of four grape varieties: Syrah 41%, Merlot 32%, Cabernet Franc 14% and Cabernet Sauvignon at 13%. Aged in French Oak barrels for 15 months with 45% new oak. Blackberries, black cherry, exotic spices, espresso and dried herbs on the nose. Full body, great structure, fresh acidity, dusty tannins with cherry and coffee mocha finish. Very sophisticated wine here could be lay down for another 2-4 years but why wait? Delicious right now. Tasted February 2011.
4.0 Stars
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San Giorgio Ugolforte Brunello Di Montalcino 2005, Docg
Tuscany, Italy$47.95
This is the essence of finesse and elegance with sensuous aromas of plums, figs, dried berries, sandalwood, soft leather and violets. Silky smooth on the palate, the alcohol is at 14.5% but it's so well integrated into the wine that it is barely noticeable, balanced acidity and fine grained tannins. The finish is long, savoury and so incredibly smooth. A beautiful lighter style of Brunello Di Montalcino.
4.0 Stars
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Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2008, Coonawarra, South Australia
Australia$22.95
This deep colour Shiraz mix power with elegance and smoothness. Very intense aromatics with cherry, ripe plums, crush raspberry, black pepper and licorice. Medium to full body, rich and concentrated flavours, balanced acidity and fully rounded tannins. Long, spicy, crushed berries and cedar on the finish. A very enjoyable wine to enjoy now, but will hold at lease five years. Strongly recommended.
4.0 Stars
(0)V
Saltram Mamre Brook Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley,
South Australia, Australia$24.95
On the nose, this wine opens up with ripe blackberry, plums, savoury, coffee and cedar aromas. Big and rich flavours on the mouthfeel, cherry pie, chocolate, clove with sufficient acidity and ripe tannins. The finish is long, velvety, savoury with sweet flavours lingering. A classic example of the “Barossa Style”, big fruit and big alcohol but well balanced and well made. Very enjoyable.
4.0 Stars
Domaine Des Bosquets Gigondas 2007, Ac
Rhône, France$31.95
This is a very ripe example of Gigondas made for the North American palate. On the nose, this wine opens up with aromas of blueberry-blackberry fruit, stewed plum, ground coffee, underbrush, dried herbs, violet and minerals notes. On the mouthfeel, full bodied, balance acidity, velvet tannins and solid core of ripe fruit. The finish is long with good depth of flavours and chest warming, slightly hot. Not exactly elegant with 15% alcohol, but very rich and enjoyable.
4.0 Stars
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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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