Tasting- "Santa Alicia Reserve" Carmenere

Name: Santa Alicia Reserve

Variety: Carmenere

Region: Maipo Valley

Country: Chile

Year: 2010

Price: $8.99

Review: Vivid ruby. Straightforward, somewhat jammy dark berry and cherry aromas pick up an herbal nuance with air. Juicy, sweet blackberry and cherry compote flavors are a touch loose-knit but provide good palate coverage. Finishes on a bitter chocolate note and with a brisk, peppery bite. I like this wine's energy.

My Review: Great wine, I liked the boldness of it.  Great wine to sip by itself, doesn't need food to make it better.  I could taste the cherry and blackberry components   I think this wine showed me that I like wines with a bit of a bitter bite to it.  I would put this in my top favorites when it comes to wine
I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting- "Dona Paula Los Cardos" Malbec

Name: Dona Paula Los Cardos

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2010

Price: $9.99

Review: Fresh plum and blackberry waft from the glass of the dark ruby purple Los Cardos Malbec. There’s a sweet, tangy attack of blackberry fruit with notes of underbrush, tar, and earth and good purity of fruit on the finish with firm, ripe tannins. This wine offers everything, and at a very reasonable price. It just goes to show that all those people drinking Mendoza Malbec know what they’re doing. We liked this wine a great deal in our 2006 report on Argentina Malbec, and we’re happy to report that Doña Paula has maintained a consistent, high quality style. An exceptional value!

My Review: Interesting Malbec, not my favorite.  It was a little too flowery for my taste.  I prefer a more "meaty" wine. However, it was a nice wine, might be better at cellar temperature rather than room temperature.

I had a lasgna made with sauce that contained the wine, it was a good pairing