Chicken and Malbec?!?!

I picked up a couple bottles of Argentinian wine last night because at the store we are seeing a trend shifting away from Old World wines (French, Italian, German) to New World wines (Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, USA). There are two main reasons that winos like ourselves are venturing into these relatively unknown wines. BECAUSE THEY TASTE AWESOME!!! Sorry, I'm a little bias towards the New World wines.

These wines are so popular right now because of the price points. Your entry level Malbec is going to run you anywhere from $8-$12. But the real kicker is that your Malbec Reserves are going to be in that $15-$25 range. Also the American palate is geared towards fruit-forward wines. What i mean by this is that when you swirl it around and take a sip, the FIRST tastes that hit your tongue are fruit flavors (Cherries, Raspberries, Blackberries) then it finishes with Non-Fruit flavors (Vanilla, Chocolate, Oak, Cedar, Licorice). In Old World wines the first flavors are going to be Earthy or Non-Fruit flavors (Mushrooms, Barnyard, Hay, Leaves, Dirt, Bell Peppers) then on the finish you will get your fruit flavors (Cherries, Raspberries, Currants, Raisins) I know that Pamsman likes the Old World wines so I will not bash them to hard.

Enough of the wine class, lets get to the wine:

Pascual Toso Reserve Malbec 2007 Mendoza Argentina $17
Megan and I had this wine last night with Prosciutto and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken. That's right I had RED WINE with CHICKEN. The seas have not parted and frogs are not falling from the sky. I'm crazy, I know. I have only two rules about drinking wine. 1) Drink what you enjoy even if you like Merlot with fish. 2) Never drink White Zinfandel, it's not really wine. This South American gem complimented the stuffed chicken very well. The saltiness of the prosciutto, creaminess of the aged provolone, and spice of the peppers made this chicken big enough to stand up to this monster Malbec.
Visual: Dark Magenta, Heavy Legs that coated the glass in a purple film for seconds.
Nose: Raspberries, Black Cherries, Oak, Chocolate, Currants
Palate: Raspberries, Blackberries, Chocolate, Licorice, Oaky Finish, Light Tannins on the end (tannins are what dries your mouth out, not always a bad thing)