Evan Hudgins Wine Blog

Name: Noble Vines 337 Cabernet Sauvignon Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Napa Valley, California Country: USA Year: 2014 Price: $12 "Lively aromas of black cherry, ripe currant, fresh herbs and lightly roasted coffee. Supple tannins and balanced acidity support core flavors of blackberry, black cherry and toasty oak, intertwined with spicy black pepper accents." -www.noblevines.com This is a wine I tried multiple times before I enrolled in the Geography of Wine.  At the time, I didn't know anything about wine.  I have since realized that while I like this wine, it is not my favorite.  I like the aromas (soft with dark berries) but it is definitely full-bodied with more tannins and acidity than I like when looking for a wine to casually enjoy.  Although I don't detect the toasty oak, I can detect small amounts of the spicy black pepper.  A good casual wine for a bargain to pair with some snacks or cheese.

Name: Kaiken Reserva Malbec Variety: 95% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon Year: 2015 Region: Mendoza Country: Argentina Price: $10 "Fresh fruit aromas evoke strawberries and cherries nicely supplemented by spicy and floral notes. In the palate, this wines reveals an extraordinary freshness and soft tannins." - www.wine.com This is my first Malbec I have tried.  To the nose, it is very similar to other wines I have experienced.  Many fruit aromas with the typical alcohol aromas of full-bodied wines.  To the taste, I detected notes of cherry and berry with more spice than expected.  I found it to be more cherry and dark berry than strawberry.  This is a fuller-bodied wine with very forward tannins and acidity.  I tasted lots of earthy notes with a reasonable amount of spice.  I would recommend this to anyone looking for a full-bodied wine to pair with food.