"Fishy" smell?? And some questions

[Innkeeper]

Hi Icwatewine and welcome to the Wine Board. Castle Rock is a solid QPR producer. If the wine had a cork in it instead of another type of closure, the SB might have corked. That smell is like wet newspapers. SB frequently has a grassy aroma. Neither of those sounds fishy though, so am not sure what the problem is.

Frontera is the journeyman line from Concha-y-Toro, and Carmenere is a Merlot like red, at least in the inexpensive bottlings. The aroma I don't like in a lot of Chilian reds is green peppers. That doesn't sound fishy either.

So far, except for the fish, you seem to be doing pretty good with your selections. Try the Castle Rock Merlot, and get back with us.

Don't worry about correctly identifying specific aromas or tastes. Just call them as you smell/taste them.